On Thursday, in Newcastle Supreme Court, Ms Wardle's mother, Tania Simshauser, got her chance to speak.

"She was not a demon, she was an innocent young woman," Ms Simshauser said during a moving victim impact statement. "She was born my daughter but became my very best friend. She was the absolute light of my life. I however will forever live with demons in my mind. As I approach sleep each night I am haunted by demons. Demons that will stay with me forever."

Ms Wardle's boyfriend, Jordan Miller, who strangled his girlfriend to death at Metford in June 2020 because he thought she was a "demon", was in June found guilty of murder after a jury found the psychosis he was suffering was caused solely by using LSD and cannabis.

There was no history of domestic violence and Miller - a university student working part-time - had no criminal record.

Instead, Miller was in a psychotic state and had lost touch with reality causing him to believe Ms Wardle - the woman he was in a relationship with - was a "demon" who was "sucking the life out of him."

Her death was a tragic and senseless case of domestic violence that shocked everyone who knew the pair.

"I know my beautiful, little girl who was growing into a confident, happy young woman died absolutely terrified," Ms Simshauser said. "She was terrified because the person she trusted was a monster. As a mother, I know my baby girl died feeling terrified and alone and that is a demon that will stay with me forever."

Ms Simshauser and Ms Wardle's father, Matthew Wardle, read emotive victim impact statements during a sentence hearing for Miller in Newcastle Supreme Court on Thursday, the pair of proud parents attempting to put into words the profound impact of their daughter's horrific death.

"During this process, I have listened to people defend the nature of Jordan Miller, when, in reality, he has committed the most heinous of all crimes against another person," Mr Wardle said. "This is the sort of crime that you would hope someone would not get a second chance to commit. I would not wish this on anyone."

After hearing from the family and submissions from the parties, Justice Richard Cavanagh, SC, adjourned the sentence until October.