Sue Addis's son Mikele on Pietro Addis trial in Brighton

Mikele Addis told The Argus how his mum, and co-owner of Donatello and Pinocchio’s restaurants in Brighton, had been close to grandson Pietro all his life, and she had been like a mother to him after his mum died.

Sue was found dead at her home in Cedars Gardens, Brighton, on January 7, 2021. She had been killed by Pietro after he had moved in to stay with her.

The family did not have any concerns or fears about this arrangement.

Speaking exclusively to The Argus, Mikele said he now wants his nephew to have another chance at life and wishes he could get help in a mental hospital as opposed to going to prison. He said Sue would have felt the same way.

Mikele said: “When Pietro was just five his mum Anna passed away quite suddenly. Really from that point my mum Sue became his mum. Even before then she was an incredible grandma. She was really close to all of her grandkids. Going to her house was always a special treat. There was a 'grandkids welcome' sign on the door.

“And when he lost his mum Sue stepped into the role of being mother to him. Then the routine then from the age of five to where we are now, Pietro would spend every Monday and Friday night with her.

"It was purely the two of them had that close relationship. She would pick him up from school. That was the routine for 12 years. When he got to 16 he would still see her every week.

"Mum had a real soft spot for him. At school he was a little bit naughty but nothing of any substance. She thought he would really amount to something. He had a real entrepreneurial side to him.

"She saw so much good in him. We all did. He was a bright boy. She had a real soft spot for him and out of all of the family if he had a problem she was the go to. If he was to ask for any advice, he had a close relationship with his dad but it would be Mum who he would turn to.

"School wasn’t for him. He got his GCSEs done. He was interested in catering, joining catering college. He would work one day a week behind the bar at Donatello, cleaning glasses one or two evenings a week. All of us brothers, myself, Pietro’s dad Leo and Stef have been taught we have got to earn what we get. In our school holidays we would have had to pull our weight.

"My mum and dad came from nothing. So, the same as us, Pietro had to work to earn money.

"My dad got dementia and went into a care home. Mum said she was sitting with Pietro and 'he said he would never let me go into a care home, he would look after me'. They were incredibly close."

Sue and Pietro would go on holidays together, just the two of them. Trips included Spain and Palestine.

"It was clear they had a very strong loving relationship and bond, " Mikele said.

"None of us ever for a millisecond ever thought any problems he started to have when he was 17 would ever lead to anything at all like this."

The trial heard how Sue, 69, had researched specialist treatment for her grandson.

She had looked for a private clinic for addiction and mental health treatment on the day she was killed.

Mikele said she was “considering in-patient treatment for her grandson at a specialist centre".

He had moved in for a week before the tragedy. On the day she died, Mikele, Sue and Pietro had all spent time together in the restaurant in The Lanes, Brighton, discussing what to do during Covid as there had been advice about whether people should go out.

Mikele said: "The day that it all happened there are search histories [on her computer] of Mum looking for what help he could get. But there were weeks of that. Nothing specific had happened that day.

"He had become withdrawn over recent weeks, which wasn’t him. He would be cracking the jokes. He was the cool skater kid. The other grandkids idolised him. He became very distant and he did not communicate with the rest of the family. He wasn’t the same person.

"But there were no disagreements, arguments. No ongoing tension between Pietro and my mum. The day it happened we spent a couple of hours in Donatello. We worked together and it was my day off and I went to see her. She said she was happy that Pietro was staying with her. ‘I love his company, I enjoy cooking for him. He’s great company' she said.

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"She had such a social life. That all had to stop because of Covid. I thought 'it is good for her that he’s there and it’s good for him'. That’s three hours before. We were talking about how they can go on a walk and he said ‘all right grandma’. Those were the last words that I heard him say.

"To send him to his grandma's was not a punishment. It just seemed to make logical sense. This is because she was the main person who could help get him back to normality.

"Leo was a great dad to Pietro and Mum always supported him in raising him.

"Pietro was becoming more withdrawn. He could not see his friends like normal. Everything changed. Mum would never have gone home on a Thursday at 4pm. She was there Monday to Saturday, ten or 11 hours a day. Donatello was her fourth child. She loved it.

"None of us for a millisecond ever thought anything like this could happen, knowing their relationship. Knowing their history and their past, I know in my heart something mentally has happened in him to do what he did.

"If they'd had an argument she would have picked up the phone and called Leo his dad or me.

"She would not have run a bath. One thing that really made me feel good was that there were pieces of newspaper in the bath, it meant she had read The Argus in the bath and relaxed as she always did. That really did make me feel better.

"I believe that it was not an act of anger. That is someone who has mentally lost his mind.

"I don’t want him to lose most of his life.

"With Mum looking down, knowing their relationship, what would upset her most of all is knowing the surroundings he is in. I genuinely believe that. And that is what I think. I want him to have a go at life.

"The biggest punishment he is going to have is knowing what he has done - to somebody who gave him so much of her life. Everyone loses their mum and dad and they want them to go peacefully but that did not happen. I don’t hate and despise him but I hate what happened.

"I just miss her desperately.

"My motivation moving forward is to run the businesses well and make her proud. Donatello and Pinocchio, along with her sons, are her legacy. I was in awe of her. The way she worked and how she treated people. I want to do everything in my power to continue that legacy."