THE partner of murdered Michael Lee Emmett has said her eight year old sons have learnt there is evil in the world after losing their father in such a devastating way.

In a victim impact statement read out to a court today, Natalie Preece, the mother of Mr Emmett's three children, said losing him has affected "every single part" of her life.

Mr Emmett was stabbed on Bryn Road and Apollo Way in Blackwood on Friday, August 1 last year.

A Blackwood 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has admitted murdering Mr Emmett and wounding a second man, John Williams, 44, while on drugs.

He will appear at Cardiff Crown Court for sentencing tomorrow. The Argus has appealed the order granting the killer anonymity, and a decision is due today.

Miss Preece gave birth to the couple's third child, a daughter called Lola, at London's Kings College Hospital just three weeks after Mr Emmett, 29, was stabbed. He had been taken to that hospital for a liver transplant and Miss Preece was booked in there to be near him. He died just a week later on September 2.

An inquest held on September 24 heard that a post mortem examination revealed that Mr Emmett died of liver injuries.

Miss Preece, 28, said: "Since [the defendant] chose to take away my soul mate and my children's father, our lives have been devastated in every single way.

"Mike suffered for four weeks, he was in pain, suffering for 24 hours a day for the full 28 days he survived.

"He was asking me every day what the date was, he was counting down to the day his daughter was born, desperate not to miss it.

"He begged the doctors to let him be with me when our daughter was born but even that was taken away from him by what [the defendant] has done.”

Miss Preece added her eight year old twin sons had been “put through hell”.

“They understand that their father was hurt and ill and someone has done this to him and when they did, it broke their hearts,” she added.

"For 28 days they asked for him, cried for him, called for him, they were desperate to have him home. They waited for him to get better but he never did.

“How can eight year olds go through so much trauma?

"At eight years old my boys have learnt there is evil in the world and evil has taken their daddy away."

Miss Preece added the only photograph she has of their daughter with Mr Emmett was taken on the day he died.

She added: “It’s a sickening image, a sickening thought, something you should never have to go through, something you we never wanted or asked for.

“My boys are waiting until Easter because their daddy will come back to life like Jesus did. My heart was shattered when I told them that wouldn’t happen.

“I’ve had to give permission for the man I love to have his life support switched off, I can’t explain to you how that felt.”

Miss Preece added that she went to the hearing last month to see if the teenager, who then admitted murder, showed any remorse. She added: “I didn’t see anything in his face and nothing in his words.”

Mr Williams, who was stabbed three times in the back and elbow during the incident, said in an impact statement that he had been consumed with the thought of what could have happened.

He said: “I’m reminded of this every time I see the scars. I’ve also struggled to sleep and I’ve kept replaying the incident over and over in my head.

“I used to be outgoing and confident and now I feel weak and vulnerable... I don’t want to feel like this.”

Prosecutor James Wilson told Cardiff Crown Court the defendant had been described as “argumentative, hot-headed, temperamental and difficult”.

Before the incident on August 1 last year, he had become“abusive and aggressive” towards a female at the Stone House pub causing Mr Emmett and Mr Williams to intervene. The pair then tried to take him home.

Mr Wilson said Mr Williams could “see by the defendant's eyes and body movements that he was off his head on drugs.”

He added that Mr Williams saw the defendant run up to Mr Emmett and stab him before chasing him for 25 to 30 metres. He then turned his attention to Mr Williams.

Mr Williams said: "He came towards me, we must have ended up in a scuffle during which he stabbed me three times.

"I can't even recall feeling any pain at the time."

The defendant also admitted assaulting a police officer and for breaching an anti-social behaviour order.

Defence barrister Lucy Crowther told the court that the family of the defendant feel “sorrow for the heinous offence that their son has committed.”

She added: “He [the defendant] has asked that it’s said openly in court that he is truly remorseful of his appalling crimes. He appreciates that can’t come close to make good what he has done.

“His best mitigation can only be his guilty plea.”