THE family of Natalie Connolly who died after she was left injured at the bottom of the stairs by her partner at their Kinver home have paid tribute to their "beautiful girl".

Natalie, a 26-year-old mum-of-one, was found lying in the hallway of the Kenrose Mill home she shared with John Broadhurst in December 2016.

Broadhurst left her there after a night of rough sex and drinking before going to bed, Birmingham Crown Court was told during his trial.

The 40-year-old property developer was today (Monday December 17) starting a jail sentence after being sentenced to three years and eight months behind bars after admitting gross negligence manslaughter part way during his trial which heard Natalie was found with more than 40 separate injuries, including serious internal trauma injuries.

A post mortem showed she died from acute alcohol intoxication and blunt force injuries.

Her family said in a statement that their "lives changed forever" when they heard Natalie had died.

They continued: "During the last five weeks we have had to endure hearing the most horrendous and harrowing evidence of how Broadhurst left Natalie at the bottom of the stairs bleeding and in clear need for medical help. Instead of getting Natalie the medical help she needed, Broadhurst chose to go to bed and sleep instead.

"It is now clear to us that the guilty admission made by Broadhurst shows the heartless way in which he left Natalie at the bottom of the stairs, without any concern for her dignity or wellbeing.

"He has demonstrated what a callous, disrespectful person he really is and has never publicly apologised or shown any remorse for the cruel way in which he left my daughter.

"Natalie was in the prime of her life and if Broadhurst had got the medical help from the emergency services at the time of this incident, Natalie may still be alive today.

"Natalie was a loving and caring daughter, granddaughter, and sister, but above all she was a loving mother to her 10-year-old daughter, who now has to grow up without her mummy by her side, through all those significant times in a young girl's life.

"She will to have to live a life sentence without her mummy. Natalie was, and still is at the centre of our world, and we will all try to rebuild our lives knowing, we will no longer have the beauty, the joy and the happiness of having Natalie by our side.

"Our beautiful girl has gone forever, we will never forget Natalie, she will remain in our hearts and souls forever.

"As a family we all have to ensure that Natalie's daughter grows up, knowing how much we all loved her mummy and the very tragic and unnecessary way in which her life ended."