Nightmare

SHATTERED . . . Nicola’s father Bryn reads a statement outside court

NICOLA Hughes’s dad said it was “like a horror film” when he heard his daughter had been murdered.

Bryn Hughes was driving home when a detective called him. He knew something serious had happened.

Natalie Hughes, Nicola’s stepmum, said: “Police said they were at his house waiting to speak to him.

“They didn’t tell him initially what happened but he put two and two together and knew something quite serious had happened to Nicola.

“The police were there at the house. He rang me at work to tell me what had happened.

“I just remember him saying ‘Natalie, Nicola’s dead’. You are just in shock.

“Your head is spinning. It’s just constant disbelief. It just affects your whole life in ways you just cannot imagine.”

Mr Hughes added: “It was disbelief. It’s a nightmare you can’t wake up from. It’s a horror film you are watching on television.”

“At first it was hour by hour. It progressed to day by day. I think it’s still day by day and event by event, with everything that’s occurring and things that are coming in the future and the memorial services. It’s a constant reminder - not that you need reminding.”

They described the funeral at Manchester Cathedral as “surreal” as Deansgate looked like “a huge, dark tunnel” with thousands of people.

“We expected there would be a lot of people, but even when we started driving through the villages it was lined with people, clapping and throwing flowers.”