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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Joe Thomas

Mum hopes her daughter's vile murderer endures the 'darkest parts of hell'

The mum of murdered Melissa Belshaw hopes her daughter’s killer “rots in jail”.

Jean Mulvaney believes Andrew Wadsworth needs to “go to the deepest, darkest parts of hell” for the brutality he inflicted upon the popular mum.

She spoke as Wadsworth completed his first year of a life sentence after being convicted of Melissa’s murder and the attempted murder of a heroic neighbour.

READ MORE: Elderly man found dead in house named

Wadsworth stabbed Melissa, his former partner, to death in a cocaine and alcohol-fuelled attack at her home in May 2019.

His vicious assault was carried out in front of his victim’s teenage daughter.

The 37-year-old was jailed for life with a minimum of 32 years in December 2020.

One year on, Jean told the ECHO the killer’s name was a banned word in her house.

She said: “I hope he rots in jail and he needs to go to the deepest, darkest parts of hell.

“I never knew what hate was until all of this occurred. I never knew what hate meant, but I do now.

“I hope he never sees the light of day again… he took away everything from us.”

Jean was forced to listen as the attack unfolded after her grandaughter called her for help.

She was then made to endure a trial as shameless Wadsworth - who Jean described as “the devil itself” - peddled lie after lie to cover up his terrible attack.

'Beautiful soul' Melissa Belshaw, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Andrew Wadsworth (Facebook)

Jurors at Manchester Crown Court refused to fall for his claims.

The former mixed martial arts fighter had initially appeared to be a “real gentlemen” before “vanishing” because, Melissa later discovered, he had been in prison for a violent burglary.

Melissa continued to see Wadsworth, believing he had turned over a new leaf but Jean objected and banned him from her home.

However, Melissa had ended the relationship when Wadsworth killed her at her Billinge home before chasing and stabbing a neighbour who attended the scene to check on the 32-year-old and her daughter.

Andrew Wadsworth murdered his ex-girlfriend, Melissa Belshaw (PA)

As domestic incidents typically increase over Christmas and New Year, Jean urged anyone who did not feel safe in their relationship to take action.

She said: “They need to get out, they need to seek help as soon as possible.”

Jean added the past 18 months had been “very hard”, and that she had not decorated her home for the second consecutive Christmas.

But she said she does everything she can to keep her daughter’s “beautiful soul” alive.

'Beautiful soul' Melissa Belshaw, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Andrew Wadsworth (Facebook)

Jean said her home is a shrine to Melissa, whose grave she decorated with a wreath as loved ones paid tribute over Christmas.

She said: “I have pictures of her everywhere in the house. I speak to her every morning. As long as I am living her name will stay alive. She was a beautiful soul, inside and out.

“Her memory will never be forgotten.”

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