She was described as lovely, popular and impeccable, and her death came as a shock to many.

Moira Jones was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A 33-year-old Slovakian man, Marek Harcar, was found guilty of her murder in Glasgow's Queen's Park last May. On Wednesday the judge sentenced Harcar to life in prison, for a minimum of 25 years.

Sadly, her death never had to happen.

Ms Jones was supposed to be staying at her boyfriend Paul Thompson's flat on the night she was killed. They fell out - an argument while watching the news - and she went home.

In tearful testimony, Mr Thompson would characterise her as a "fantastic, loving, lovely person".

The popular and intelligent 40-year-old businesswoman moved from Stafford in England to Glasgow in 2003 with her job as a sales adviser for soft drinks firm Britvic.

Described as an "impeccable" employee, she had settled well and was said to love the city.

Britvic co-worker Mark Violet also paid tribute to Ms Jones, saying she was a "first-class" colleague.

One month after the start of the trial and some ten months after Ms Jones's life was needleesly snuffed out, her family could begin the healing process.

Her mother, Beatrice, said the family had set up a fund to help others who found themselves in similar situations, the Moira Fund.

Holding back tears, she told reporters of her daughter: "She was robbed of everything she had to look forward to and we have been deprived of the pleasure of sharing her life.

"We are desperate that Moira be remembered for the very wonderful person she was and not for how she died.

"Moira, darling, darling Moira, we were so proud of you and we will do the best we can with our lives to make them worthy of you."

She and her husband Hugh are no longer able to work while their son Grant gave up his life and career in Australia to come home and care for them.

Mr Thompson, Ms Jones's boyfriend of four years, has managed to return to work.

The three men stood beside her as she read the statement outside the High Court.

She said: "It has taken a long time for us to absorb the enormity of all of this. How could Moira, our lovely fun-loving full-of-life Moira, be a body in a park?

"We were totally stunned and everything was surreal. As the paralysis wore off the pain increased.

"Our hearts have been gouged out and we are left with weeping wounds."