DEVASTATED dad Ian Bates has branded the man who murdered his young family as an "evil coward" who killed "just for spite".

And the 36-year-old added: "You cannot get any worse than that."

Mr Bates, a philosophy graduate, said since the murders of wife, Celeste, 31, son Milo, 17 months, and stepson, Daniel, eight, the pain of what had happened had been with him "every single day".

He said: "There is no escape. No matter where I go, it is something that lives with me.

"At Christmas and New Year I felt I had to get away from Bolton so went to Colombia. But it didn't make any difference. Whether it is the other side of the world, or here in Bolton there is nowhere I can go. "I am lucky I have my own business and have a partner who is also a close friend. He carried me for the first couple of months after. Now, I tend to drift off, be miles away, often for about five hours out of each eight hour working day. I have found there have been different stages to the way I have felt. There has been no healing, just coping.

"First, when I was told what had happened I fell into shock. I did not really face up to the reality.

"After a few weeks I found that I could be okay for a few hours, but then would break down.

"Now it is like a constant toothache - less intense, but permanent. It is always there and never goes away."

Almost three months ago the BEN revealed that Mr Bates had moved back into the house on Blackburn Road, Egerton, in which his family had been battered to death.

He said that the end terraced property was the "only symbol of our togetherness I have left".

Today, he remains at the house, but the photographs of his family which used to adorn the walls have all been stored away, and the children's toys remain untouched in their rooms. Mr Bates added: "They are too painful to have around. Being here does not help me get over what has happened, but I have no intentions of moving, even though at the moment it is more painful to stay. Long term, if I moved out it would remain more painful for the rest of my life.

"If I left the house I would have nowhere to go with my memories other than their graves.

"It took Celeste and I four years to get the house how we wanted it. We spent every weekend doing it up. If I left and sold it, the new owners would change it and everything we spent putting together would be gone."

Mr Bates described the anger he now feels for his family's killer.

"He is an evil coward. His face is that of pure evil. He is a six foot three man who has murdered an eight-year-old, a 17-month-old baby and a woman.

"I believe he killed these people just out of spite - because Celeste was going to leave him."

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