Danny Irons: Family of murdered Sheffield dad say they 'struggle every day' one year on from fatal stabbing

The dad-of-three was stabbed in the heart at around midnight on April 16/17 last year, leading him to collapse and die on Fretson Green, Woodthorpe. He was 32.

One year on, and despite seeing his killer jailed for life in January, Danny’s family say they struggle ‘every day’ with his loss.

"Not a day goes by where we don’t think about him,” his mum, Christine Irons, told The Star.

"It just seems like yesterday it happened. Nothing’s got better, nothing’s changed. We all still miss him.

"It never seems to get any easier, it just gets worse. We relive that day where we had to identify him, or when we got that knock on the door. I never dreamed this would have happened.”

She spoke after a memorial get-together was held for Danny at the scene of his death on Fretson Green on the anniversary of his death.

The family are also working towards interring his ashes at a local cemetery.

They revealed how one month after the murder, his sister, Kirsty, gave birth to a baby boy, who she named Danny in memory of his uncle.

“He was right funny,” said Christine. “He had such a sense of humour, he would always make you laugh.

"He liked to help people and his friends. He liked seeing his friends and mess around with motorbikes and cars.

"He loved his kids – they’re all the spitting image of him. We miss everything about him.”

Christine says Danny spent his last afternoon that day at a birthday party for his niece, which was also where his children last saw him.

That evening, he was fatally stabbed by Ross Turton, 30, of Danewood Avenue.

During the three-week trial at Doncaster Crown Court in January, the jury heard how Turton believed Danny was in the area of Fretson Green to burgle a house with a cannabis crop he was growing, and went out looking for him armed with a kitchen knife.

When Turton came across Danny and his friend Peter Taylor, Turton attacked almost immediately, inflicting a seven-inch deep stab wound that pierced Danny’s heart. Danny fled until he collapsed on Fretson Green, where he died at the scene.

When asked why Danny was out that night, Christine said: “We don’t know why. We don’t know what his intentions were.

"The trial was hard on all of us.”

Immediately after the stabbing, Turton fled the scene before disposing of his phone, clothing and the vehicle he fled in.

Following extensive enquiries, officers arrested Turton on Wednesday, April 21.

Turton later claimed he acted out of self-defence, and claimed Danny had a blade of his own, but the jury threw this out and convicted him of murder.

He was sentenced to life in prison for a minimum of 25 years.

"Danny was really looking forward to meeting his nephew,” said Christine.

"We’re a close family. We all like to spend time together.”