Murder victim 'could light up a room', says family

A man who was murdered on his doorstep "could light up a room with his laughter and kind nature" his mum has said.

Paul Scott, 37, was attacked at his home in Peridot Close, Blackburn, on 22 June in a "revenge attack".

Joanne Maxwell, 44, her son Liam Donlin, 25, and her daughter Amie Clegg, 22, were all jailed for life at Preston Crown Court on Friday.

At the sentencing hearing, Mr Scott's family shared statements saying what he meant to them.

The court heard Donlin, Clegg, and Maxwell, 44, had gone to Mr Scott's house in the early hours of 22 June.

He was stabbed on his doorstep by Donlin, while Clegg, Donlin's sister, filmed the incident, Lancashire Police said.

The three were convicted of murder by a jury at Preston Crown Court following a 13-day trial.

Maxwell was given a 23-year minimum term, Donlin was given a 26-year minimum term, and Clegg was given a 20-year minimum term.

The trio, all of Lynwood Avenue, Darwen, had planned the attack as "revenge" after Mr Scott broke up "an altercation" involving Maxwell, police said.

After the three were sentenced, Mr Scott's mother, Julie, said: "Paul was friendly to everyone he met.

"He had many friends all of whom are still struggling to come to terms with what has happened.

"He was the last person on earth they would have thought would be the victim of such a violent crime.

"Paul's family loved him very much.

"He could light up a room with his laughter and kind nature.

"He was emotional and sensitive.

"Paul never shied away from showing his emotions to his loving family.

"He always gave us all hugs and told us how much he loved us.

"The day I got the phone call to say my son's body had been found in his flat will haunt me forever.

"I collapsed.

"To be told he'd been murdered was horrific.

"To be told he'd been murdered by three people, two of which are relatives, was unbearable.

"How does a mother ever recover from that?

"Paul had shown both of those people nothing but kindness and friendship."

His father Billy said: "Paul wasn't one for hanging around the streets much with friends when he was growing up, he would often be at home and would invite his friends round there.

"Sometimes up to 30 friends, but at least we knew where he was and what he was doing.

"He was a homebird and loved spending time with his family and being close to them.

"Often, whilst he was on a night out, in the early hours he would ring me just to say, 'I love you'.

"That was Paul: family was always on his mind.

"When I would go out for a drink with Paul, he would chat to me about how he hoped to have a family that he could go home to one day, a wife and children.

"He would have loved to have settled down at some point, now that chance has been snatched so cruelly away from him.

"I miss Paul, and I will for the rest of my life."

Younger sister Jade said: "I didn't get nearly enough time with him.

"There are so many more conversations we needed to have, places we needed to see and things we needed to do.

"I will no longer get to grow old with Paul, just like we planned.

"I would give anything on this earth to have one more hug with him.

"I didn't just lose my brother; I lost someone who shaped who I am, someone irreplaceable."

"I can't quite believe we live in a world with such evil in it.

"Because of said evil, my life and my family's lives as we knew them, are over.

"There is no punishment large enough that will ever change that.

"Our Paul, the kindest soul that I've ever known, is gone forever."

Brother Andrew said: "Pauly was taken from us in an unimaginable act of cruelty.

"Murdered in his own home.

"A premeditated act of brutality against my brother.

"Recorded. Filmed. Documented.

"For what I can only assume would be for some twisted future satisfaction.

"To savour the moment and relive it in days to come.

"What could my brother have possibly done to warrant such a lack of humanity.

"He took his final breaths on film at the hands of these monsters.

"It haunts me to think what was going through his mind in these final moments.

"Shock. Fear. Confusion. Betrayal. Helplessness. Loneliness.

"As he lay there bleeding to death, I can't bear to think that these three murderers were the last faces he saw."

"Pauly used to say you never know what's around the corner in life.

"I can't help thinking of all the things he'll now never get to experience.

"He would have had kids of his own one day I'm sure of it.

"He'd have made a great dad.

"Now it's all gone. All of it. All his possible futures taken from him."

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