Jennifer Dornan: The road to justice for the children without a mum

Jennifer Dornan was 30 when she was stabbed in the heart in August 2015

It was a night out with friends that ended up with three young children losing their mother.

Jennifer Dornan was the life and soul of the party. Even the priest at her funeral remarked on how quiet the world would be without her.

When the 30-year-old was found dead in her burning house in west Belfast after being stabbed in the heart, the Dornan family had their hearts broken too.

They adored her. They still do.

Raymond O'Neill, 43, formerly of Amcomri Street in the Lower Falls area of Belfast, was found guilty on Friday of killing Ms Dornan and setting fire to her home.

He will serve an automatic life sentence. The minimum amount of time he must serve in prison before being considered for parole will be handed down at a later date.

He has always denied the charges.

For the Dornan family, the outcome of the trial was vindication after what they had known known for nearly seven years: O'Neill killed their loved one.

This verdict won't bring Jennifer back, but it has given the family some comfort.

Fighting for justice

The family were already grieving before the murder - Jennifer's brother Stephen was just 23 when he died in 2009.

Their sister Claire described the past seven years as "an absolute nightmare".

"We have been fighting for justice all this time," she told BBC News NI.

Claire Dornan at a vigil held after the murder

Up until the trial started in February, the legal process had faced one setback after another.

After Jennifer's death, police appealed for information relating to the murder.

Six days later, O'Neill was arrested by Gardaí (Irish police) in County Donegal. Police in Northern Ireland confirmed they were not looking for anyone else.

'He has shown no remorse'

An extradition process that was expected to be straight-forward took more than three years.

In that time, O'Neill had two overdoses in prison in Dublin, one of which left him in a wheelchair for a period of time, delaying the process further.

The Dornan family travelled up and down to Dublin, awaiting news of his extradition, only to be disappointed.

In 2017, Claire said: "This is a living nightmare - he committed murder. He needs to tell us what he did to her."

It would take until November 2018 for O'Neill to be extradited to Northern Ireland and a further three-and-a-half years for him to face a jury.

The family waited for the truth to come out.

They waited for this day.

But despite their cheers and tears inside and outside court, nothing about Friday's conviction will ever feel like a victory for the Dornan family.

Raymond O'Neill denied murdering Jennifer Dornan

They're still left to pick up the pieces of O'Neill's actions and raise Jennifer's children.

But if there is one thing they are adamant about, it's that they will keep her memory alive.

"She was the best mum, sister, daughter and friend and our hearts will always be broken," said Claire.

"Raymond O'Neill left three beautiful children without their beautiful mummy and he has shown no remorse.

"But we will love her forever and look after them like our own."