Thread by @DdesimoneDaniel

The sentencing hearing for Hashem Abedi will get underway at 10:30am here at the Old Bailey in London.

In March, Abedi was convicted of murdering the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena bombing, the attempted murder of those who survived, and conspiracy to cause an explosion

Abedi disengaged from the proceedings several weeks into the trial.

Today the court will hear victim impact statements from those affected by the attack.

The background to the case is here bbc.co.uk/news/uk-519082…

Hashem Abedi is refusing to leave the Old Bailey cells for his sentencing hearing.

Mr Justice Jeremy Baker began proceedings just now by saying: “I have requested that Hashem Abedi to be brought to the Central Criminal Court”

The court heard that Abedi is present in the building, but has "refused to come into the court room”.

The judge added: "I have no power to direct that force be used to compel him to come into court” and he would therefore not be present to listen to the victim impact statements

The mothers of Liam Curry and Chloe Rutherford, teenage sweethearts from South Shields, both bravely read their statements to the court.

Lisa Rutherford said: "This horrendous act of cowardice changed our lives changed forever”

She said that losing Chloe is a “pain that never leaves us” and that her daughter was a "ray of sunshine and our lives cease to have meaning without her".

"As a family we need answers", she told the court.

"We are destroyed"

Caroline Curry, mother of Liam, said the "world has lost a beautiful soul” and "there are not enough words in the world to describe the pain I now feel”.

"Life now is not a life - it’s an existence I tolerate”, she told the court

She said "I will never know the feeling of holding Liam and Chloe’s children”.

"He would have been an amazing husband to Chloe and that has all been taken from me, from them, and the wider family”.

"You took his future, our future, my family’s future”

Claire Booth, sister of Kelly Brewster, said she had lost her “sidekick” and that Kelly had been killed “at the happiest time in her life”.

Ms Booth was herself injured in the atrocity

Through tears, she said “I feel frustrated, sad and angry”, adding "I feel like I’ve had my independence taken away”.

She told the court that Kelly died “alone on the cold floor”

Figen Murray, mother of Martyn Hett, described how she is now unable to go to bed until after 10.31pm, the time the bomb went off.

She said: "I still cannot reconcile that I was fast asleep while my son lay dead on the floor, and I am ashamed about that"

Paying tribute to her son, she said Martyn had a "strong work ethic and lust for life."

"Life with Martyn had an element of chaos and unpredictability."

She added: "The enormity of the loss has left a massive void"

In a statement read by a prosecutor, the father of 18-year Georgina Callander described her as “my beautiful little girl” and that she had been “so excited” about the concert.

Simon Callander said he now walks the streets alone at night because he doesn’t want to talk to anyone

The statement said that, out of goodness, people often want to speak to him, but “I don’t want to talk. I want to die”.

He added: "Many times since you murdered my daughter if I had been near a gun I’d be with her now”

In a statement read by a prosecutor, the mother of 14-year old Sorrell Leczkowski said her daughter's "senseless death" has "devastated us all".

After the explosion, Samantha Leczkowski - who was herself injured - tried to resuscitate Sorrell

"Sorrel was clever, determined and beautiful inside and out. She wasn't only my daughter - she was my best friend."

Her statement said: "I find it incredibly difficult talking about Sorrell in the past tense. I want nothing more than to have her back"

"Losing one of my children has killed me - I may as well be dead.

"I don't care that my leg doesn't work - the pain in my heart is the worst pain that won't go away.

"I had to see Sorrell die in my arms"

In a statement read by a prosecutor, the family of Jane Tweddle said: “We won’t let evil win”.

"What we have - which evil will never - is love"”

The family of Megan Hurley, 15, chose not to make a statement as it would have been shown to the defendant.

Instead, an image of Megan was shown in the court

Jayne Jones, mother of Nell Jones, described her daughter as "wise beyond her 14 years".

Her statement, read by a prosecutor said Nell was "modest, loyal, clever and kind.

"Nell believed that love and compassion could put all things right"

Ms Jones said the words "devastation, heartbroken" did not "come anywhere near" describing their grief.

She said: "Almost three years have passed since Nell's death and I grieve more than ever.

"We miss her laughter, her wicked sense of humour. But we cherish her legacy"

A statement read on behalf of Daryl Price, father of John Atkinson, was a "joint account of the collective feeling" of his loved ones, the court heard.

It read: "My beautiful son John Atkinson was so cruelly taken from me in the most horrific way"

"John did not deserve this. He had nothing against any religious beliefs.

"He was such a lovely, caring person and just a stranger to violence.

"He loved life, music and dancing and most of all being with friends and family"

The statement said: "I can't see a day when my pain will ever subside. The grief just consumes me. I simply cannot move on.

"The devastation we all feel is difficult to put into words. Life will never be the same again"

A statement by the partner of police officer Elaine McIver was read to the court.

In it, Paul Price said he was left in a coma after the attack, will need treatment for years to come, and has required psychological support

His statement said "I have lost the love of my life"

It added: "I still have to come to terms with losing Elaine" and "because of my injuries I don’t know if I will ever find love again”

Philip's Tron's mother June said, in a statement read by the prosecutor, that "I will never see my beautiful boy again, and this destroys me.

"I’ve not felt happiness since Philip was taken - I can’t see it ever happening."

Lisa Lees' mother Elaine said she should "never" have had to bury her child.

The court heard that Lisa Lees' two daughters had lost their mum and her two grandchildren had lost their grandmother.

“A void has been left that can never be filled”

A statement on behalf of the parents of Eilidh Macleod, 14, said: “She loved her life and everything it in – and it wasn’t hard to love her right back"

“Every day it’s been a struggle for us to maintain our dignity – trying to put one foot in front of the other is the hardest thing in our lives.

“We still have to stop ourselves calling out her name for our dinner, that will never stop"

The added: “Anger, fear, resentment and heartbreak is something we all have to live with.

“No parent who ever takes their child to a concert should ever have to take them home to bury them."

The father of Michelle Kiss, in a statement read to court by the prosecutor, described how the family were "going from day to day on autopilot" and how their lives changed completely after the "most horrific" of crimes

Michael Thompson said his daughter was "taken from us in the most terrible and cowardly way".

"We believe there is more good in the world than bad but unfortunately it only takes one bad person to devastate and destroy so many lives"

Statements by survivors of the attack were also read.

One victim described bursting into tears after being informed he had lost an eye.

Another had been present when the IRA bombed Manchester.

Another when Omagh was attacked in 1998

Further statements will be read from 1030am tomorrow before sentence is passed by the judge