A MURDERER bludgeoned his ex-partner’s teenage son to death with a hammer to cause her “maximum distress” before hanging himself.

Robert Goodwin brutally killed Nathan Bates, 19, as he slept at home in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.

Jilted Goodwin flew into a rage after breaking up with Nathan's mum, Tania Morris.

He then walked to a nearby woodland and hanged himself close to where Tania walked her dogs.

Cops say he did this so she would find not only Nathan’s body – but his too, the Stoke Sentinel reports.

Goodwin was on bail for a savagely attacking Tania, leaving her face covered in blood, at the time of the murder.

'SICKENING' MURDER

DS Garry Jackson, from Staffordshire Police, described Nathan’s murder as “sickening” an inquest at Cannock Coroner’s Court.

He said: “To attack a young man in the prime of his life, while he was asleep in the comfort of his bed, is sickening.

“There’s no reason for what Robert Goodwin did. Nathan posed no threat to him.

“I can only think that this attack was carried out to cause Tania the maximum amount of distress – not only the attack, but the likelihood she would find Nathan and also find Goodwin, given where he was found.”

To attack a young man in the prime of his life, while he was asleep in the comfort of his bed, is sickening.

DS Jackson described Nathan as someone who was “obviously well liked” and had a close relationship with his mum and dad, Andrew.

Tania met Goodwin, 57, in 2013 and lived with her and Nathan for two years before the couple split.

He was due to appear in court the day after the murder in connection with an alleged assault in which he tried to gouge out Tania’s eyes.

Days before the tragedy, he appeared before magistrates for allegedly breaching his bail by threatening the pottery worker.

The teen’s devastated family are now demanding to know why he was freed from court to kill.

'EVIL COWARD'

Nathan’s grandmother Marjorie Bates described Robert Goodwin as “an evil coward”.

She said: "He looked like a bully.

“Nathan was a lovely lad, he was never any trouble.

"About a week before he (Goodwin) was arrested but they let him go. No one could understand it.”

Nathan is understood to have moved in with dad after mum Tania starting dating Goodwin.

Grieving Mrs Bates added: "He didn’t get on with Robert.

“It was just bad luck he was there on the morning Robert decided to let himself in.

"They struggled to open the door because Nathan was lying dead behind it, he’d been dragged out of bed and beaten around the head.

"The man who did that to Nathan is nothing but a coward, an evil coward."

Goodwin’s body was found just after lunchtime that same day.

Police have confirmed both men were known to each other and say they are treating Nathan’s death as murder, but said Robert's death is currently “unexplained”.

Neighbour John Ball, 61, said: "Nathan was a lovely lad and we've known him since they moved here when he was little.

"He was such a nice lad, polite, well-mannered and he always spoke to me."

Floral tributes have been left outside the house along with football shirts of Nathan’s favourite team Port Vale.

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