A heartbroken father who helped raise the man who has admitted shooting dead his son is calling for him to be jailed for life.

Garrow Lightbourn Sr., known as Trevor, told The Royal Gazette he visited murderer Cornell Shawell his late son's cousin in jail and he was "very remorseful".

But he added: "There is a risk of Cornell coming out and doing this all over again. He might just take a gun and shoot somebody else's child. I'm glad that he admitted what he has done but Iwould prefer for him to spend life in jail."

Mr. Lightbourn, 50, whose son shared his name, said the pain of Trevor Jr.'s murder at the hands of Shawell in January had not lessened with time.

"I miss Trevor a lot," said the Smith's father-of-four. "Every day, it's just, you get up, you have breakfast in the morning, say your prayers and you can't help but reflect on how your children are doing and the void that I now have in my life. Here Iam, sitting again in an interview. Tears are flowing down my eyes like it was yesterday. It's hurting and his brother and sisters, they have to go through the same thing every day."

Garrow (Trevor) Lightbourn Jr., was fatally shot in the chest by Shawell, 29, on January 27 in Pottstown, Philadelphia, in a row over money.

The 26-year-old Bermudian, a former student of Elliott Primary School, Whitney Institute and CedarBridge Academy, had just become a father for the second time when he was killed.

Shawell pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree murder, possessing an instrument of crime and flight to avoid apprehension on October 28 and will be sentenced in the new year

.He faces a maximum prison term of 26 to 52 years.

Mr. Lightbourn Sr. visited Shawell in jail and plans to be in Montgomery County Court for the sentencing hearing, when he hopes his son's killer will be locked up for good.

"The reason why I went to go and see him was because I was a good part of his life," he explained. "I felt for my own peace I had to go and set myself straight. He was very remorseful but sorry doesn't cut it."

He added: "In Trevor's case, he intended to kill Trevor.

"For him to go get a gun and then to walk up on Trevor and pull the trigger and then flee the scene; he knew what he wanted to do and he tried to get away.

"It was pre-meditated because it was planned."

He said the visit in June when his nephew by marriage told him: "I wish I could turn the clock back, Uncle Trevor" had brought home to him the fact that Shawell's family can see him any time in jail.

"The only time Iget to talk to Trevor is if I go to the graveside and sit on the grave and talk to him," he said. "It's really hurting because he can't back talk to me.

"He has taken that away from me. I can spend the rest of my life with the thought, knowing that it's over. "

One of the hardest things to cope with is knowing that Trevor Jr.'s children a daughter, who lives in the States, who will be one later this month and a son, in Bermuda, aged almost three will never know him.

Belco worker Mr. Lightbourn said seeing Shawell brought back many memories of happier times when he "practically raised" the boy who would grow up to murder his son.

Young Trevor and his cousin were good friends who occasionally argued but never came to blows, according to Mr. Lightbourn. But when Shawell was diagnosed with schizophrenia, Mr. Lightbourn warned his son to be careful as the family knew he liked handling guns.

Montgomery County prosecutors alleged that a feud about a significant amount of money fuelled the deadly altercation on January 27.

Mr. Lightbourn said he understood it was about no more than a couple of hundred dollars. "He had no reason to shoot him. Trevor never owned a gun or carried a gun. There wasn't any reason why Cornell was going to shoot."

Incredibly, he said he still had "some love" for Shawell and felt for him because of his mental state. "Ilove Cornell, the Cornell who Iused to know,"said Mr. Lightbourn.

"But Ihate what he's done to my life and Trevor's children's lives, as well as the mothers of his children, his brother and sisters and the whole family. He has changed all our lives."

Ten months on, Bermudians still come up to Mr. Lightbourn on the street to give their condolences and he is thankful for that and the support of his family and friends.

"It's been a very hard year for me," he said. "Bermuda has a lot of love and it's the only reason why I've managed to hang on. It has really helped me to get through this."