ALWAYS happy and smiling, always said 'I love you' - that's how Diane Enos remembers her beloved daughter Bobbie.

But the memories Ms Enos cherishes of her daughter are tarnished with the daily torment she feels, knowing Darryl Smith "got away" with Bobbie's death and how she will never have justice.

Today was meant to be the day of Smith's inquest, where the Stokoe family will finally find out how the man who killed their daughter died in prison, but that is just one of many questions they have.

It was however, revealed this morning, that the inquest was postponed until May.

Her mother explains that the day before Ms Stokoe's funeral, a letter was sent to the Stokoe family from Darryl Smith while he was on remand for her murder.

The letter said he was sorry for what he had done, but as far as the family was concerned, it was another bombshell they had to deal with, just 24 hours before they prepared to bury their daughter.

"We were in absolute bits anyway without that," said Ms Enos.

"We complained to Cardiff prison but we didn't even have an apology."

Ms Enos then began asking questions about the circumstances surrounding Bobbie's death.

"Bobbie was reported missing by the manager of the women’s refuge where she was staying on the Monday (Aug 17).

"On the Tuesday I was told by police they that they went straight to the house in Trevethin where she lived with Darryl Smith and he wasn't there, so they went back the following day and because he said he hadn't seen her, that was it. They didn't even go in to check.

"The police knew that Smith was violent because Bobbie was in a refuge and it was the manager who reported her missing.

"Plus they had been to the house before when neighbours called the police because they heard the two of them arguing.

"Bobbie was dead the previous Friday and I know they couldn't have stopped her death, but it may have saved her being left dumped outside for days."

Ms Enos says she has only been given a bag full of t-shirts and some handbags that belonged to Bobbie because Smith cleared the murder scene before he was arrested.

"I have nothing to remember my daughter by.

"As far as the police were concerned, they had their body, they had their man and that was it.

"I don't believe they tried to find anything else of hers because they didn't need it."

Ms Stokoe's body was found five days after she was killed on wasteland known locally as the Dumpty in Trevethin, not far from where she was killed in Bellevue Close.

At the inquest into her death, it was revealed she died following a frenzied attack by Smith, where he stabbed her 25 times.

A confession Smith gave to police was read out at the inquest and the coroner David Bowen recorded a verdict of unlawful killing.

"She was so badly injured, that by the time she was found, there was nothing left to see," explained Ms Enos.

"I wasn't allowed to see her and so he (Smith) robbed me of my last moments with her."

Bobbie's auntie Julie Ford, 50, added: "You can't describe what this has done to our family. He has broken the hearts of all of us.

"Who knows, he may have done us all a favour in dying in prison, but I can't help but feel it’s the cowards way out," said Ms Enos. “He robbed us of justice.

“I will never forgive him for what he did, I will go to my grave not forgiving him.

"I hope he rots in hell.”

'Her life could not have been saved' - Police

THE Independent Police Complaints Commission carried out an investigation into the handling of the Gwent Police's investigation into Bobbie Stokoe's death.

In a statement from the force, they maintain that all of Miss Stokoe's possessions were returned to the family at the conclusion of the investigation.

Regarding the calls to the property before Miss Stoke was killed, they said: "We were only called to the address on one occasion when it was reported that an argument was heard, however both parties denied any argument when officers attended.

"Regrettably it has been established that regardless of police actions on the day Miss Stokoe as reported missing, her life could not have been saved as she was found to have died before there was any police contact."

She said a report has been completed by the IPCC and the force has responded to the IPCC's recommendations.

Ms Enos has not seen the report or heard from the IPCC.

* An IPCC spokesman said the investigation into Gwent Police's handling of the investigation into Bobbie Stokoe's death has been completed and the IPCC will be contacting Miss Stokoe's family to discuss the findings of the report.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “The prison makes every effort to ensure that mail is properly censored for those prisoners who warrant it.

“However, letters can be sent out by other prisoners or sent out as legal mail.”