Daughter of murdered Nicholas Churton says "he did not deserve to lose his life in this way"

Gemma Churton, in a victim impact statement, said he was always very proud of her and her brother.

When she was young she said her father always appeared to be busy with the restaurant he and her mother Margaret ran in Rossett.

But he was a funny character and she recalled him cooking the Sunday roast and doing family barbecues.

She left home to go to university, lived for a period if Italy and when she returned to do a teaching qualification her parents still lived in Rossett.

They had last been together as a family at Christmas when her father was “on good form”.

She had last spoken to him a few days before he met his death.

He mentioned that someone had tried to burgle his home, was having the locks changed and was reporting the matter to the police.

Since his death his family had tried to throw themselves into their work and a lot of feelings had been pushed to the side.

“My brother, mother and I never expected to lose my dad this way,” she said.

Although he had his problems, he remained engaging and charismatic.

He liked talking to people and “always had a tale to tell.”

Her father “wanted to live life to the full,” she said.

“He was a lovely man. He did not deserve to lose his life in this way,” she said in a victim impact statement read by junior prosecuting barrister Anna Pope.

The family were deeply saddened by his death and they were still coming to terms with it.

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Robert Simmons, the victim of a burglary and aggravated vehicle taking at his home in Crescent Close, said the burglary by Davidson had left him nervous in his own home and he was desperate to move.

But the local authority had told him that he had adequate accommodation and had to remain there.

He said he felt like a prisoner in his own home.

Mr Simmons said he had to use up savings to buy a new car and was always checking if the vehicle was alright.

He was worried after he had become aware of the other crimes Davidson had committed.

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Burglary victim Sarah Roberts told how she felt vulnerable and isolated knowing that a stranger and such a dangerous person had been in her home and through her possessions.

She was on edge and thinking about what could have happened and did not feel safe in her own home.

He had been in her bedroom and she could not sleep for months afterwards.

Her head was all over the place and she felt that she would never be the same again, she said.

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Pensioner Michael Rogers who was robbed by Davidson said he felt he was lucky to be alive and was so grateful to the young woman who intervened.

He had now changed the route he used and was nervous when he saw young people particularly if they wore hoods.

Mr Rogers said he felt that the young lady who intervened had saved his life.

“I honestly believe that he would have killed me,” he said. “I now know how dangerous this man is.”

Mr Rogers said he could not understand why Davidson attacked him for no reason whatsoever.

“I am extremely lucky to be still here today,” he said in his victim impact statement.

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Przemtsla Saczonek who was the victim of an aggravated burglary offence said he had been unable to sleep properly for two or three months and his girlfriend had been unable to stay at the property for some time. She no longer wished to be alone.

Davidson had entered the house by breaking a window and was carrying weapons, including a machete, which caused him to have flashbacks.

Their lives had been threatened and felt quite helpless against him.

They had since installed CCTV.

He had taken belongings which they had worked hard to obtain including jewellery of a great sentimental value.

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The arresting officer David Hall told how he found Davidson hiding under a blanket in the back of a car and saw him produce a hammer.

The court had earlier heard that he suffered multiple bruises to the left forearm, which was also swollen, left elbow, both hands, right forearm, upper shoulder and lower back. He required hospital treatment, in particular to assess his left arm.

In his victim impact statement he told how his “whole life flashed before my eyes.”

The officer said how he had to fight for his life – and suffered a flash back to when he was previously seriously attacked while on duty back in 1999.

PC Hall told how he tried to discharge his tazer.

Davidson was desperately trying to reach into the vehicle and he feared that he might have a gun.

The officer said how he ran through the incident in his head daily and his sleep had been disturbed.

He had nightmares and the two incidents became mixed up in his sleep.

His work had been affected but he said he felt he had a duty to the victims of crime to carry on.

The officer revealed that he had not coped well during a tazer training exercise and broke down.

He had constant flash-backs and had received counselling.

The officer said that he would become upset for no reason – sometimes while just watching TV.

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DC Don Kenyon, who was attacked while he interviewed Davidson, said he had been left with a dull headache, he had fractured his rib where he believed he was struck by a chair, and his sleep had been affected.

The pain remained for a total of 40 days.

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Prison officer Ian Moglione, who was slashed to the neck by Davidson after his remand in custody at Altcourse Prison, said he feared that he would be unable to do the job which he had done for 11 years.

He needed 21 stitches to the wound which had become infected.

His pain was a daily reminder of what had happened.

The officer said that he had been left with a scar to his neck which was “a constant reminder of the traumatic incident”.

He revealed that he had not had a shave with a razor since – he could not bear the thought of a razor on his skin.

His sleep had been affected and he only slept two or three hours on a good night.

That effected his life and he was drowsy and unable to concentrate.

He had re-occurring nightmares.

There were sleepless nights, he felt vulnerable and he could not do anything about it.

He had been put on anti-depressants but that had not helped his sleep patterns.

The officer said he had been unable to return to work and suffered from severe anxiety.

He had therapy and had been to the gates of Altcourse but became very distressed and had been unable to remain there for more than several minutes.

It was possible that he would be unable to return to working at that establishment again, where he had worked for eight years and enjoyed his job.

He was “angered” that his career may have been taken away from him.