THE devastated family of Gemma Roberts spoke about the daughter they described as a ‘happy teenager’.
Gemma, a former pupil of Howden Clough High School, Batley, was 18 when she died.
In a statement released after the sentence was passed, Gemma’s family, including her mother Tracey Roberts, said: “Gemma's death has absolutely devastated our family. We have been left with a massive hole in our lives.
“Gemma was a beautiful, happy teenager who loved life and had everything to live for.
“We can not still believe she has gone and we will miss her for ever.”
Reading Mrs Roberts victim impact statement, prosecutor Mr James Goss said: “Unsurprisingly, given the random nature of this offence and the total innocence of Gemma who was just walking down the street, there is puzzlement and upset as to why and how this could have happened.
“As Mrs Roberts said, she [Gemma] died in the most senseless way; she never did anything wrong to anyone else, she was just walking home. She was the happiest she’d ever seen her.”
Miss Robert’s boyfriend Ryan Adamson said that he felt guilty that he was not there to protect his much-loved girlfriend.
Det Supt Andy Brennan who led the investigation said: “Attacks on strangers with this level of violence are extremely rare.
“Gemma Roberts had a full life ahead of her and was a young and vibrant individual. A chain of events occurred whereby Gemma, through no fault of her own, was walking along Holme Street and had a chance encounter with Hanson, who was suffering from a serious personality disorder. Hanson carried out a completely unprovoked attack on Gemma, which resulted in her receiving horrendous neck injuries that led to her death.
“The impact on Gemma’s family and her boyfriend has been described as devastating. They have been supported by specially trained officers and we have consulted with them in relation to accepting a guilty plea to manslaughter. They are aware of mental health issues in this case.
“I would like to take the opportunity to thank the people of Liversedge for their assistance and co-operation throughout this terrible event and to the media, who assisted us with our earlier appeals.”
