Craig Dean’s daughter, sister and partner all made victim impact statements before the sentences were passed.
Daughter Teryn Dean spoke in a video on behalf of her sisters Amber and Ashlyn, and said he had been a great dad who “coached our soccer teams and taught us to drive”.
His eight years in the UK had been a hard life during which he had “turned to various substances”, she said, adding that he would “never get to meet his future grandchildren”.
Barbara Hobson said her brother “was the one who made us laugh with his wicked sense of humour” as their family of five grew up on a farm in Indiana.
She added that “Craig lived a life of service” in the navy and fire department, and never lost the instinct to help others in Kings Heath, performing CPR in the Asda car park where he often spent time and helped people with their shopping.
Laura Webb, Dean’s partner of five years, said: “He was tough but had a lot of love inside him.”
She said they regularly went to church together and the local community loved him.
“He had dreams. He wanted to marry me… and live on a farm. All of that has been taken away from me.”