THE father of schoolboy murderer Michael Hamer says his son destroyed his own life when he killed 11-year-old Joe Geeling.

Former policeman Philip Brimelow left Michael Hamer's mother while she was pregnant, and had only occasional contact with their son as he grew up.

Before Hamer, aged 15, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday, Manchester Crown Court heard how the absence of a father figure in his life left him feeling "unloved, denigrated and humiliated".

Mr Brimelow still works for Greater Manchester Police, the force which investigated the crime, but is believed to have retired as a police officer and now work as a civilian for the scenes of crime department.

In a statement released through the force, he said his thoughts were with the Geeling family.

"I am appalled and horrified by the death of Joe Geeling," he said.

"The lives of two boys have been destroyed and this has impacted indelibly on many people, both young and old.

"But none more than Mr and Mrs Geeling, their young son, and their family and friends. My thoughts are entirely with them."

Hamer, who was aged 14 at the time of the murder, lured fellow pupil Joe back to his house from St Gabriel's RC High School in Bury on March 1.

The Year 10 pupil faked a note from a deputy headteacher, telling Joe, who was in Year 7, to go to Hamer's house to collect some books.

Once Joe was at the house, Hamer made a sexual advance towards him which Joe rejected, calling him "gay" and threatened to tell others.

Hamer then hit Joe over the head with a frying pan so hard that it broke, and stabbed him 16 times.

He then put Joe's body in a wheelie bin and hid it in nearby Whitehead Park.

It was found the next day by a police dog after Joe's parents, Tom and Gwen, raised the alarm.