THE family of murdered Netherton father-of-two Simon Johnson have described how their lives have been shattered leaving their world an “emptier, lonelier and scarier place”.

Roz Johnson, the wife of the window fitter who worked for Cradley Heath firm Black Country Glazing, said the 41-year-old was a “loving and very much loved father and husband, son, brother, grandson, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend”.

She said: “The unimaginable and horrifying act of murder has become a harrowing reality in our lives and the impact of Simon's death has reached and continues to reach far and wide.”

She said the couple's two daughters have had their dad taken away from them in a “sudden and unexpected, brutal and violent” way, without a chance for a goodbye.

“That is something they and I will never recover from,” Mrs Johnson said. “Telling our daughters what happened to their dad is the most difficult thing I have ever had to do and there have been countless difficulties over the last 16 months.

“We have been forced to deal with situations, experiences and emotions we did not think possible and although we know Simon would be so proud of us for the dignity, strength and courage we have shown it is no real comfort as he should be here – living his life with us.”

She said she and Simon separated on August 11, 2015, but they were still raising their girls together when he died – at a time when they had many plans for their future as a family.

“When we first became a couple over 20 years ago I did not know the path our lives would take and if I had known I would have made more memories and taken more photos because that is now all we have left.”

She said the family wanted to express their gratitude to West Midlands Police for the hard work they had put into the brutal murder investigation.

Mrs Johnson added: “Simon was a very proud father of two girls and he will be loved, misses and remembered always.”