Grieving family 'forced to take out loan so they could watch 12-year-old killers face justice'

The devastated family of a 'loving' man murdered by two 12-year-old boys has told how they were forced to take out a loan just so they could watch his killers face justice. Shawn Seesahai - from the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, in the Caribbean - was brutally executed by two schoolboys in Wolverhampton.

The 19-year-old was horrifically wounded with a 42.5cm machete which pierced his heart and was used to 'chop' at his skull. His murderers are thought to be Britain's youngest knife killers.

During a two-day sentencing hearing at Nottingham Crown Court, Mr Seesahai's family described how their 'worst nightmare' had left them not only heartbroken but out of pocket. Grief-stricken parents Suresh and Maneshwary revealed how they had to spend their life savings on repatriating their son's body.

READ MORE: Shawn Seesahai live updates as boys, 12, to learn fate over Wolverhampton machete murder

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They were then forced to take out a loan just so they could return to the UK and face their son's killers in court. Mr Seesahai's loved ones described his killing as 'tragic, unexpected and senseless'.

It was committed 'for no reason at all', they said. Dorethea Hodge, a representative of the Government of Anguilla, read a statement to the court on behalf of Mr Seesahai’s family - which included his parents and younger sister Shana.

The family watched the court proceedings via a video link on Thursday, September 26. The statement read: "We, as a family, have been struggling in so many ways since Shawn was taken from us, especially in the horrific way he was taken. Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare.

"To put it down in a statement on how it has impacted our lives would take more than a day to read. It has left a huge hole in the pit of our stomachs which nothing can fill. We are devastated as a family, totally heartbroken and confused."

They added: "As well as the emotional and mental anguish we are going through, we have suffered financially. No one expected to have to bury their own child - we were not prepared for this.

"In order to repatriate Shawn’s body back home from the UK, we had to use all our savings. In order to then fly back to the UK to attend the trial, we had to take out a loan to fund flights and accommodation.”

Mr Seesahai came to the UK for eye treatment and had hoped to continue his education here. He was living in Handsworth at the time of his death.

The family told how his murder had deeply impacted his younger sister, with relatives concerned 'if she will ever be the same again'. Their statement read: "We were a very close family. Shawn was incredibly close to his younger sister. Their bond was unbreakable.

“Shawn was more than a brother to her - he was her best friend. They did everything together when he was home in Anguilla. It is hard to imagine how she will ever come to terms with his death.

"She has always dreamed of being there for Shawn’s wedding and him being there for hers. The fact that he won’t be there for her graduation or wedding hurts her so much.

"Shawn’s passing affected her so much to the point it has taken a toll on her mental health and affected her academic performance. After his passing, there were days were she would eat little or not eat at all.

"The only thing she did was just lay in bed and cry - crying all day about losing her only brother. Despite their ups and downs, they always made up and pretended as if nothing happened, as siblings do.”

Mr Seesahai's family went on to say that they are haunted by thoughts of how scared he must have been in the moments before he was murdered in Stowlawn playing fields, in East Park, last November.

The family's statement continued: "Mentally, it has been hard for any of us to function. None of us have had an unbroken night’s sleep since Shawn was taken from us.

"Every time we close our eyes, all we can think about are what his last moments were and how scared he must have been. It totally breaks our hearts."

They added: "The impact on us as a family is devastating. It is hard to believe that we will ever come to terms with what has happened.

"We will never get to see Shawn get married or have a family of his own - all of those things have been taken away from us for what appears to be no reason at all. Shawn was a very loving child to us.

"He was very helpful and hardworking. He loved helping out his dad in construction and loved to help with the household chores. He always aimed to get out what he wanted in the future.

"He was a humble person and his personality was unique. He loved to help others and he was always confident. He was very honest and he cared about his family deeply.

"He was a brave soul, he was generous and compassionate. We will always miss him. He will never be replaced by anyone because he is irreplaceable.

"We will always love Shawn and he will always have a special place in our hearts." The child killers - who are now both 13 and from Wolverhampton - blamed each other at trial for Mr Seesahai's death and still deny they are responsible.

The 20-day trial heard how Mr Seesahai was in the park with a friend when he was 'shoulder-barged' by the smaller of the two boys - who confessed he 'often' carried a machete and bought the murder weapon for £40 from a 'friend of a friend'.

He was then repeatedly stabbed, punched, kicked and stamped on by the strangers. Mr Seesahai had attempted to flee from the killers but tripped moments before he was attacked.

The children are believed to be the youngest defendants convicted of murder in Britain since Jon Venables and Robert Thompson killed two-year-old James Bulger 1993. They now face mandatory life sentences for murder and will be sentenced on Friday, September 26.

One of the boys - who confessed the knife belonged to him - admitted possession of a bladed article ahead of the trial, while the other was convicted of the same charge by jurors. Neither of the boys can be identified as they are protected by a court order giving them anonymity.

A media application to lift the order and name the boys was rejected by Mrs Justice Tipples in July. She rejected the bid because of concerns surrounding their welfare.