Sheffield family’s relief as killer drops appeal
Pictured at her Parsons Cross Home , is Lydnsey Mitchell, with her Children, Riley, & Brooke, Lydnsey's Partner of murder victim Damian Taff, who was stabbed by Drug dealer last Summer.
THE heartbroken partner of a Sheffield dad stabbed to death today said she could finally move on with her life after his killer dropped his appeal.
Drug dealer Benjamin Grant, aged 32, applied to have his conviction for the murder of Damian Taff quashed on the grounds it was unsafe – because one of the jurors was taken ill during his trial.
However, he dropped his application on the day it was due to be heard at London’s Court of Appeal, although it was still heard – and thrown out – due to the lateness of his withdrawal.
Grant is serving a life sentence after he stabbed Mr Taff through the heart outside a 24-hour drugs shop in Parson Cross.
Grant, who was ordered to serve at least 27 years behind bars also lost an appeal against the length of his sentence.
Today Damian’s partner Lyndsay Mitchell, the mother of two of his children, said she was pleased justice had been done. Lyndsay, aged 27, of Parson Cross, who has a daughter Brooke, aged eight, and two-year-old son Riley, with Mr Taff, said she was left bereft by his murder.
She said: “We are glad it is finally all over and we can now start to try and get on with a sort of normal life but we will never forget Damian.
“Grant decided not to appeal against the conviction at the last minute but the court heard the appeal anyway. After two years of being adamant he didn’t kill Damian, he’s finally confessed to it as far as I’m concerned.”
Lyndsay sat through every day of Grant’s six-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court and attended the Royal Courts of Justice for the appeal.
She said: “I wanted to see it through.
“I’m glad justice has been done.”
The brave mum said she and the children still missed Damian but were trying to rebuild their lives.
She added: “It’s especially hard at this time of year with Christmas coming up, but you just have to get on with it.”
Mr Taff, 29, was stabbed through the heart outside a pit-bull guarded drugs den run by Grant and drug dealers in Swanbourne Road, Parson Cross in the early hours of September 1, 2010.
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Wednesday 22 May 2013
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