THE mother of tragic Demi Heslop Jewell told last night how her family's lives had been torn apart by her partner, Christopher Jewell.

Linzi Heslop was a police suspect along with Jewell after their fourmonth- old daughter was killed in January.

She was initially only allowed contact with her other three children on supervised visits because of the investigation.

But now that the truth has emerged, the 29-year-old is hoping she can rebuild her life with her children.

She said last night: "Today brings an end to eleven months of uncertainty surrounding this tragic case.

"My children, parents and myself have had our lives torn apart due to Chris' actions that fateful day, when I left our daughter, Demi, in his care.

"No sentence can ever bring my daughter back or dull the pain I feel on a daily basis.

"I am saddened that Chris gave no account and did not take responsibility for his actions until recently, adding to my family's pain and uncertainty.

"I hope now Demi can rest in peace and my children and I can begin to rebuild our lives."

The officer in charge of the case, Detective Superintendent Andy Reddick, said outside court: "That poor girl not only lost her daughter, but had the difficulty of dealing with her other children only on supervised visits.

"Linzi, her children, her mother and father, have been a very close family group and supportive of each other.

"It is an absolute tragedy made worse because he did not admit the offence for some considerable time.

That put a lot of pressure on Linzi.'' Mr Reddick said he believed Jewell's affair becoming known and mounting debts caused him to snap - and shake Demi to death.

"He had no previous convictions and was not known to us before,'' the detective said.

"He is going to have to live with what he has done and will have to be carefully managed with any dealings with children when he is eventually released.'' Teesside Crown Court heard that Jewell gave the same false account to police when he was quizzed in January and again in April.

Judge Peter Fox was told that Miss Heslop had made a victim impact statement, which said Jewell's actions will live with her forever.

"The statement details the traumatic effect the death of Demi has had upon both the Linzi, her children and her parents - not least because as a result of the defendant's denials, she fell under suspicion and was separated from her children," the judge said.

"The delay from his refusal to accept responsibility and the prospect of having to give evidence have served only to increase her family's distress."

Mark Gurney, of Durham County Council's children's services, said: "We have worked very closely with the police to support the family through a very difficult period of time and we shall continue to work closely with the family to help them move forward now that the case has been brought to a successful conclusion."