TV star Maya Jama ''blames herself'' after her boyfriend was murdered when he was visiting her in Bristol, according to his mum.
The former Radio presenter was just 16, when her boyfriend Rico Gordon was caught up in the crossfire of a gang attack in 2011 and killed - leaving her heartbroken and her outlook on life - and death - profoundly changed forever.
Since the tragedy, Rico's devastated mum Anna, has watched as her son's true love has rose to fame, first as a BBC radio star and this week taking a leading role in Simon Cowell's ITV show Walk The Line.
But despite her success, Anna admits that ''fame hasn't changed her" and she still remembers her son - especially on his birthday December 27.
Care worker Anna, 55, told The Sun on Sunday : “Maya and Rico were deeply in love and they were a beautiful couple, always laughing and joking around.
“It was only after they recovered Rico’s phone that I could fully appreciate how in love they were. There were so many photos of them hugging and kissing.
“There is a big church that you can see from the balcony of my house and Maya told me they were planning on getting married there."
But in a cruel chain of events - the next time Maya stepped into the church was to say goodbye to her first love and to mourn his loss with his family and friends.
She continued: "They hadn’t set a date or anything, as they were so young but they had visited the church and both agreed it was the perfect place for their wedding.
“It breaks my heart to say that the next time she went to that church it was not for their wedding, but for Rico’s funeral."
And despite the tragedy Maya previously admitted it acted as a turning point which ultimately stopped her going off the rails.
She previously told Cosmopolitan : “With my boyfriend passing, it gave me a fearless approach. I felt like life was really short.
“At 16 you think the world is a fairytale and it took me out of that. It made me even more determined.”
Anna added: “Maya blamed herself after what happened, but then everyone blamed themselves."
Anna recalled how Rico had gone to a pub in Bristol, which he didn't like and decided to leave after an argument erupted.
His final moments were captured on chilling CCTV showing shots fired before Rico was found gunned down in the street.
The following year, two men, Shakah Anderson, then 31, of no fixed address, and Rickel Adams, then 27, of Neasden, North London, were found guilty of Rico’s murder and given life sentences.
