A HEARTBROKEN mum told how drugs led to the downfall of her beloved son, Ricky Wyatt, who was stabbed to death over a petty £5 debt.

Jean Colbourn, 56, spoke out as her son's killer, Kathryn Taylor, was found guilty of murder at Basildon Crown Court.

Taylor, 33, of Gaywood, Laindon, fatally stabbed Ricky, 34, in the chest in a car park outside a block of flats in Little Lullaway, Laindon.

In a tragic twist, Mrs Colbourn told how her son died in the same street he was born, and how her life changed dramatically the day he died.

She accepted Ricky, who lived in Royal Court, Laindon, had been involved in crime during his life, but told how he had never been a violent man.

The mother-of-four, of Laindon, said: "He was a loveable rogue. I will always miss Ricky. Times, dates and days mean nothing to me. It is as though my life stopped when Ricky died.

"When he died all the bad things died with him and I can only remember the good things.

"He was always a Jack-the-lad and we had a lot of laughs."

Taylor's co-defendant, Matthew Boulton, 30, of Victoria Avenue, Southend, sped her away from the murder scene in a stolen car. He was convicted of assisting an offender.

The five-week trial marks the end of a dark chapter in Basildon's history as Ricky's death, on September 1 last year, was one of four murders in the space of as many weeks.

Mrs Colbourn also said she feelt for the defendants' families.

She said: "I am glad justice has been done, but I am not gloating.

"My heart goes out to the defendant's families too.

"The verdict has given me closure and I can start to rebuild my family's life again."

However, Mrs Colbourn said she was struggling to come to terms with Ricky's death as she is still grieving for her eldest son, Tony, who committed suicide 11 years ago aged 27.

She said: "When Tony died, he took a piece of my heart and it has happened again.

"It is a real empty feeling I cannot describe.

"I never dreamed I would open that grave again until my mother died."

Mrs Colbourn said Ricky's involvement with drugs led to his downfall and she hoped other parents would not have to go through the pain she hadsuffered.

She said: "I found it hard Ricky took drugs because I did not know anything about drugs and I was always worried about him."

Mrs Colbourn recalled fond memories of Ricky such as when he accidentally put a garden fork though his foot while he was doing some gardening work for his gran, and how he would make tea for his sister Julie, 37, and play computer games with his other sister Cara, 24.

She also said his friends and family laughed through tears when the song Bad Boys was played at his funeral and one of his close friends left Bad Boy in flowers.

Mrs Colbourn also thanked the police for their support during the trial.