The heartbroken mother of Riley Turner has revealed how she would be always haunted by her act of kindness that unwittingly allowed Anwar Rosser to murder her treasured son.

In a victim impact statement, Sharon Smith told how she wished she had said no to “that monster” when he asked if he could sleep at the house.

She said: “I didn’t want him to get beaten up, but all along he had a knife in his pocket, plotting to hurt one of us, or all of us.

“I feel so much guilt that my poor son had to go through such horrific things because my kind heart didn’t want to let that monster get beaten up. My kind heart cost me my son’s life.

“I don’t feel like ever being nice to people at all, except my family. The guilt eats me away every day. What he’s done is unforgivable, he’s ruined our lives.

“I don’t look forward to life anymore. I wake up now and just want to be with my son, Riley, so he’s not alone. I can’t bear to think he’s sad and alone.

“I try every day to keep my other sons happy and to help Mackenzie and what he has to go through every day.

“He never spent a minute away from his twin brother. They did everything together. If Riley got a packet of crisps, he would get the same.

“Now Mackenzie has to choose everything himself. He always cries and says he’s got no-one to play with.

“It’s very upsetting to hear my boy cry for his brother all the time and wonder where he’s gone and why he isn’t coming back. Some questions I can’t answer. I try my best but I don’t understand myself, and I never will.”