Steak knife murder: Mother's pain over James Knight death

Mrs Knight said she cannot understand why Magson did not do more to save her son

A mother has said she still cannot understand how her son's girlfriend stabbed him in the chest before she coldly watched him die.

Trish Knight has told the BBC her whole family was still struggling to come to terms with the death of James, 26, following a drunken row at his home in Leicester in March.

The father-of-two was attacked with a steak knife by Emma-Jayne Magson.

Magson is serving a life sentence for murder following a three-week trial.

James Knight, pictured with his daughters Ruby and Evie, was stabbed in the chest

Mrs Knight said: "You just see the hurt in everybody's faces. With my grandchildren, two of them have lost their dad.

"The rest of them have lost an uncle. Life will never be the same for any of us ever again."

Mrs Knight said they were initially told James had been in a fight with a bouncer and were shocked when Magson was arrested and charged with his murder.

She said: "We'd met her a few times. They'd been here for dinner and she'd always been OK."

'Chilling' phone call

During the trial, which concluded in November, the jury was played a 999 call by Magson in which she said James had collapsed but did not mention him being stabbed.

She also told the call handler it did not matter if paramedics were delayed.

Mrs Knight said: "They said in court that you can hear James's last breaths on that phone call.

"It's chilling. She's just so calm. I can't get it into my head how you can actually watch someone die."

Now the family are struggling to move on from the loss of the "loveable rogue".

Mrs Knight said: "Every Christmas is going to be hard. His birthday was on New Year's Eve.

"Everyone's celebrating and he should be celebrating his birthday, but he never will again.

"But James wouldn't want you to not celebrate because he loved a party - he'd be the first one there - but it just doesn't feel right."