The following is an abridged version of the Victim Impact Statement of Mrs Miriam Higgins...
"My name is Miriam Higgins and I am the mother of Alan and Caitríona Higgins. I appear before the court today on behalf of my daughter Caitríona, Alan's sister, family, friends and myself, to represent Alan.
"...On 23rd March 1985, my son was placed in my arms for the first time, just minutes after he took his first breath. He was so precious, his face so flawless, his skin so soft, I whispered "I love you" for the first time.
"...In August 1989 Alan was diagnosed with leukaemia at 4 years of age, his existence for 2 years was being in hospital or at home isolated from his friends and family because of infection.
"He never moaned and took his illness in his stride and was extremely brave throughout. Every night I kissed my son goodnight and told him I loved him, as I never knew if he would survive this serious illness as his chances were slim. But against the odds he fought his illness and miraculously survived.
"On 12th October 2002, I was brought to an emergency room where my beautiful son lay, this time his face was not flawless, his skin was not soft only cold and very pale. His frightened beautiful brown eyes looked up at me as I told him I loved him, he asked me to "stop fussing and hold his hand". Little did I know that this would be the last time my son would look at me, talk to me and hold my hand.
"...His murder gives me sleepless nights, nightmares and night terrors. It gave depression and a struggle to simply find the reason to survive each day.
"It gave me tears upon tears, pain upon pain, it covered my world in sadness, pain and anger. It continues to destroy my health a little at a time.
"....When I eventually returned to work I could not go straight home knowing that Alan was not going to walk in the door from school. I had no favourite dinners to cook for him, his chair empty at the table, none of his washing on the line, his golf balls around the garden that would never be played with again. So many times I wished I could die too just so I could see and touch my son again and above all know he was alright.
"...People avoided me in public because they didn't know what to say to me. I felt I had leprosy or that I had done something terribly wrong for them to avoid me.
"When Alan was 15 years old, his sister Caitríona went to Glasgow to follow her dream to study to become a veterinary nurse. When Alan was taken away from her so too was her dream. She returned home unable to cope with the loss of her brother.
"A mother's instinct is to protect her child from the cruelty and pain of society. I could not take her pain away, I could not make her feel better, I could not bring back Alan her brother, whom she stood by over all his years of illness. I felt so helpless, all I could do was comfort her with a hug and tell her how much I loved her."
"...A life sentence does not mean life in prison for the accused. But Caitríona and I will serve a life sentence without appeal or parole, having committed no crime".