The partner of murdered dad Alan Riddock believes justice has been done after an infamous south Bristol family were jailed for life for his brutal death.

Diane Churchley, her two sons and their two cousins were all found guilty and sent down for a total of eighty years and six months.

It took a month-long trial at Bristol Crown Court and 34 hours of deliberation by a jury of eight men and four women to convict them.

Mr Riddock's partner Deana Cox shed tears of joy as the verdicts were read out in court yesterday afternoon.

Speaking exclusively to the Bristol Evening Post after watching his killers break down in tears as the jury returned its decision, Ms Cox, 38, of Hartcliffe, said: "I am over the moon – justice has been done.

"I'm very relieved. They have got the punishment they deserve. They were blubbing and there was even a courtroom confession."

Ms Cox, who was Mr Riddock's partner for 17 years, added: "Alan's death has torn my heart from me, and that can never be replaced. We were together for 17 years and his death has left me and my children in pieces.

"Life without Alan will never be the same but we are trying to re-build it in the way we know Alan would have wanted.

"I will never be able to understand why these people took a good man that day but today's verdict brings some closure.

"I now know these people are being punished for not only taking a special man from my life, but also a loving dad away from his children.

"I miss Alan so much there are no words to describe the pain and hurt I am going through.

"I would like to thank all my family and friends for the support and love they have given me over the last 11 months, but I would now ask that the media give the family time to grieve in private."

Father-of-two Mr Riddock was killed in a "vicious, sustained and merciless" attack prompted by drug-dealing mother Diane Churchley – because he 'mooned' at her.

The court was told the 41-year-old had been standing outside the front of the Park House pub in St John's Lane, Bedminster, when he dropped his trousers and showed his bottom at Churchley, who was at home at 211 St John's Lane, opposite pub.

The jury was told she then ordered her sons John and Liam and their cousins Jason and Craig Hartrey to carry out the attack on May 24 last year.

Diane Churchley, aged 50; Liam Churchley, 20, also of St John's Lane; Jason Hartrey, 39, of Dawlish Road, Bedminster; John Churchley, 23, of Queens Road, Withywood; and Craig Hartrey, 36, of St John's Lane, Bedminster, all denied murder.

All of the accused also denied intending to cause grievous bodily harm to Mr Riddock's friend, Jonathan Stephens.

Diane Churchley was charged with assisting an offender by washing Liam Churchley's clothes and shoes and washing and hiding his baseball bat.

The jury found Diane Churchley, John Churchley, Jason Hartrey and Craig Hartrey guilty of all charges, with Liam Churchley guilty of Mr Riddock's manslaughter.

The Honourable Mr Justice Field handed Diane Churchley a life term with a minimum 16 years; Jason Hartrey received life with a minimum 17 years; John Churchley received life with a minimum 18 years, six months; Craig Hartrey received a life term with a minimum 18 years; Liam Churchley was sent to a young offenders institution for 11 years and should serve half in custody. John Churchley is already serving a nine-year jail term for kidnap in a separate case.

The judge said: "Diane Churchley, you bear a heavy responsibility for the awful events that occurred. You called on (the co-defendants) to inflict members of the public really serious injuries and that's what they did. You put a baseball bat in the hands of Liam and sent him across the road to participate in it.

"You instigated serious violence. You didn't intend anyone should be killed but the aggravating factor is you instigated serious violence and the violence was meted out in a public place where members of the public were likely to witness it."

Paul Dunkels QC, prosecuting, told the jury that before the fatal attack Liam Churchley was suspected of burgling the Park House pub, was banned, and Diane Churchley fell out with the pub management. Liam later admitted the burglary in court and was bailed.

It was on May 24, Mr Dunkels said – the day Bristol City went to Wembley to contest the Championship play-off – when Diane Churchley was seen remonstrating with the pub's former landlord that Mr Riddock exposed his buttocks at her from outside the pub.

Mr Dunkels said: "Diane saw that and said 'Who the f*** does he think he is? You don't know who you're dealing with; you don't know what my family can do. You're dead'."

It wasn't an idle threat, Mr Dunkels said, but a "chilling forecast" of what was about to happen outside the pub which would leave Mr Riddock dying on the pavement with head injuries.

Diane Churchley was accused of recruiting her two sons and their two cousins to go the Park House because there was trouble there.

The Crown said Jason, John and Craig were driven there and Liam crossed the road to join them.

The jury heard witnesses saw a balaclava-clad gang carrying baseball bats and a samurai sword converge on Mr Riddock outside the pub and beat him to death moments after he pushed his 15-year-old son inside.

When Jonathan Stephens investigated, having just gone to the pub with his family, he too was felled by a baseball bat.

A witness saw Craig Hartrey walk back to one of the lifeless men, hold a baseball at aloft and smash it down on the man's head.

During yesterday's sentence an emotional Jason Hatrey told the judge he was the one who walked back, not his brother Craig.

Though police and medics battled to save Mr Riddock, he was taken to Frenchay Hospital and died from multiple head injuries.

Mr Stephens was taken to Bristol Royal Infirmary suffering from a broken jaw and stab wound just above his right buttock.

It was said that after the attack Diane Churchley, who had watched the incident, tried to help her son Liam cover his tracks while the other three men made attempts to stay at a B&B that night before holing up in a flat at WCA House in Redcliff.

Detective Inspector Paul Appleton said more than 50 officers had investigated the death full-time since the incident, along with specialist crime scene investigators and search teams.

More than 900 statements were taken, mostly from people in Bedminster, and all five suspects were arrested within two weeks.

Family liaison officer, Detective Constable Sue Pesticcio, read a statement on behalf of the Riddock family which said: "The verdict is a relief, however no sentence will bring Alan back. We want to see justice done and today it has been.

"Alan was taken from us suddenly and still nearly a year on we are asking why? We will never get these answers, but today's verdict goes some way in helping us try to move on and cherish the time and the memories we made together."

Alan's mother Pat said: "I should not have had to bury my child. Every morning he walked into my house with a paper and we had a cup of tea together. Every morning now I feel like not waking up because my paper is not going to be there as my son has gone forever. Instead of sitting laughing with my son, I now cry."

His two brothers, David and Derek added: "We miss our baby bro, but he will live in our hearts forever. There are no words to describe the feeling of loss and pain. We would not wish the pain and emptiness that we are feeling on any other family."

Investigating police officer, Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Woods, said: "It will be a long time before we see those people (the killers) again and we are very thankful to the people of south Bristol for helping bring them to justice."