GIRLFRIEND Heidi Dawson says murderer Christopher Toomey robbed her of a future with the only man she ever loved.

Boyfriend Jonathan Green was stabbed to death before her eyes hours after he had presented her with a sapphire ring.

On Friday Christopher Toomey was convicted of murdering 30-year-old Jonathan at her flat in Lydney.

The 25-year-old blamed horrific childhood abuse at the hands of his stepfather for the knife attack at Heidi's flat in Manor Road, Lydney on November 7 last year.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter but the jury at Bristol Crown Court decided it was murder by a majority of 10-2.

It was the verdict Heidi, who cradled her dying boyfriend in her arms, was hoping for.

She says she will have to move away from Lydney to escape the horrific memories of how a pleasant night in with boyfriend Jonathan, her once best friend Shannon Proctor and her boyfriend Christopher Toomey, turned into a nightmare.

"He was the only man I have ever truly loved," said mother-of-two Heidi who has tattooed Jonathan's name on her chest.

"Jon was the sweetest kindest man you could ever meet. Although we had only been together for two months. I knew he was my soulmate.

"On the day he died he gave me a sapphire ring. He just said 'I've got something for you babe' and gave it me. I was speechless.

"That day we curled up and talked about moving to Newent and having a baby of our own. I still can't believe he's gone and although I'm only 35, I could never contemplate being with anybody else."

Heidi said her and Jonathan had spent a blissful day together before they left her flat to meet the other couple.

The court heard that when they returned to the flat to watch a DVD, an argument developed when she discovered he was taking methadone.

Shannon allegedly started shouting at Jonathan and the jury heard that during the altercation that followed she tripped and banged her head on the floor. It was then that Toomey 'lost it', and stabbed Jonathan in the chest with a carving knife from the kitchen.

Psychiatrists backed the defence who claimed Toomey, of Willows Guest House, Purlieu, Lydney, reacted so violently because he was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

Lawyers on both sides agreed he suffered horrific abuse at the hands of his mother's boyfriend Anthony Batchelor who attacked and tortured him, younger sister Samantha and their mother Katherine.

The two children were made to strip down to their underwear and locked in a dark cellar and made to watch Batchelor drag their mother across the floor by her hair.

The defence claimed the systematic cruelty resulted in the flashback which led to the killing.

Toomey told the court the killing would be on his conscience for the rest of his life.

His Honour Justice Field accepted he did not intend to kill Jonathan Green but cause him really serious injury, but said he should serve at least 13 years.