THE GIRLFRIEND of murder victim Carlton Alexander says she is determined that his memory will live on.

Keshia Seaton broke down in tears at Manchester Crown Court as a jury found his killer, Ross Ashcroft, guilty of murder.

Miss Seaton, her mum Lola Seaton and sister Tameka Seaton had sat in the public gallery throughout the trial - clutching a small bag containing Mr Alexander's ashes for the last two days as they waited for the jury to make their decision.

Mr Alexander, who grew up in Leigh, became 30-year-old Miss Seaton's partner three years ago and was known to her three children as "Daddy Carlton."

“He stayed with me a lot of the time.” she said "Every day he was taking them to school or nursery, learning with them, taking them to swimming lessons and being there for them when I was working.

"He had no children but treated Bailey, aged nine, Star, aged four, and Cruiz, aged three, as his own.

"My two youngest called him 'Daddy Carlton'."

Miss Seaton says that although Mr Alexander was "no angel" and had a criminal record, he was trying to turn his life around and had plans to open a Caribbean food takeaway in Farnworth.

"He had done wrong in the past but he was trying to put it behind him and build a new future with me and the kids," she said.

"He was a kind person and would do anything for people he loved.

"Justice has been done and we just want to move forward now.

"He will live on in our hearts."

She says she would not have allowed Ashcroft into her home if she had known his violent background and wishes she had not invited her friends back that night.

But she is determined to keep Mr Alexander's memory alive for her three children, the youngest of whom insisted on making "Daddy Carlton" a Father's Day card recently and sending it to him in a balloon.

After leaving school, Mr Alexander had started working in road traffic management and gained construction qualifications.

But he began to develop his interests in music and cooking.

He used the stage name Kilo Carlton and was heard rapping on the record “What’s Crackin Then”, created by Bolton producer, Trouble.

“He was very popular and was an up and coming rap artist,” said the producer.