How do you tell your girls their daddy is dead?

“IT is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do — tell my girls that their daddy had gone to heaven,” says Leanne Bird, reflecting on the impact of fiance Connor Upton’s murder.

Connor Upton and his two daughters, Kirstynne and Destynne.

Leanne was 19 when she started dating Connor, in August 2007, two months after giving birth to her first daughter, Destynne-Rose, who Connor raised as his own.

A year on, Leanne fell pregnant again and gave birth to Kirstynne in June 2009.

Leanne, of Long Street, Stapenhill, said: “When me and Connor were good we were perfect. We enjoyed going out for meals and on long drives to places where we could spend the day together. We enjoyed doing family things together.

“Connor only had a short time being a father but he was brilliant and the best dad. He had a certain charm about him which would attract kids to him. They loved him.”

Leanne said after Kirstynne was born Connor wanted to settle down.

His life was taken four days after Kirstynne’s first birthday.

She added: “The girls are too young to understand about knives and murder. When they’re older and can understand it, I’ll be there to explain what happened and to answer their questions.

“I tell them their daddy is the brightest star in the sky and we wave at him. I tell them he’s always watching over them.”

Leanne, who has saved a box of Connor’s personal belongings for the girls for when they’re older, as well as newspaper clippings which reported on his death, said every night they looked at his photographs and said ‘sweet dreams’ to him.

“My girls are my rocks. I don’t know what I’d do without them or how I would have got through it. I feel honoured to have such beautiful children — I am so proud of them.

“They put a smile on my face and brighten up my day if I feel sad. It’s such a shame Connor isn’t here to share it with us. I would give anything for him to be here now — we miss him so much.

“I think the girls will feel anger when they’re older. They’re too young to feel the pain and hurt, which could be a good thing.

“They will be angry they haven’t been able to do things with their dad that their friends have.”