By Heather McNeill
The heartbroken mother of a Perth man murdered over a drug debt has given an emotional victim impact statement during the sentencing of three men convicted of her son's death.
Jason Edge, 29, died on ANZAC Day 2015 after being lured to a Clarkson house for what he thought would be a drug deal.
Jason Edge's family released this photo of him to WAtoday.
Instead, he was taken into a bedroom and bashed to death by Johnathan Pihema, 29, and Christopher Moir, 22 - with witnesses to the assault claiming they heard "thuds, bangs and screaming" for up to 45 minutes.
His body was later taken out in a dinghy and dumped into the ocean by Matthew Howarth, 27, and has never been recovered.
Mr Edge's mother, Dawn Edge, addressed the Supreme Court of Western Australia on Wednesday, describing the heartache of losing her son.
Her statement brought many in the public gallery and presiding Judge Lindy Jenkins to tears.
"Jason was our only child," she said.
"We were and still are completely shattered and in disbelief that this has happened.
"Every day is a struggle and every single day we get up, go to work and carry on a life that is now empty without our son."
Ms Edge went on to describe how her son was a happy child who loved sports and was about to become a qualified plumber when he was tragically hit and nearly killed by a drunk driver in 2004.
She said her son struggled to cope after the accident and lengthy recovery, becoming depressed and introverted and eventually turning to drugs.
"We never gave up on him, even during his darkest times we had hope for him," Ms Edge said, through tears.
"The Jason you see in the media is not the Jason we all knew and loved.
"Drugs were only a very small part of who he became after suffering so very much.
"The Jason we knew was caring, loving and would do anything for anyone."
The convicted men, sitting across from Ms Edge in the dock awaiting their sentencing, showed no emotion as she spoke of the heartache of not knowing where her son's body was.
"The three accused dumped him like rubbish, not considering for one moment the repercussions this would cause," she said.
"I am unable to comprehend how the three accused can disregard human life in such a vile and inhumane way.
"Jason will never have the chance to become the successful man that he deserved to be."
The three men were trialled by a jury in May in relation to Mr Edge's death.
Johnathan Pihema, 29, was found guilty of murder for bashing Mr Edge to death in one of the bedroom's of the Clarkson house.
He was sentenced to life behind bars on Wednesday, with a minimum term of 25 years, which drew cheers and applause from the public gallery.
Christopher Moir, 22, was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter for holding Mr Edge down when he began to get the better of Pihema during the attack.
He was handed a 12-year jail sentence, eligible for parole after 10 years.
Matthew Howarth, 27, was found guilty of helping to dispose of Mr Edge's belongings and borrowing a dinghy to dispose of his body and was sentenced to nine years in jail, eligible for parole after seven years.
His sentence included unrelated drug charges.
Jodi Abbott, who falsely lured Mr Edge to the Clarkson home where he died pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced at an earlier date to seven years and four months imprisonment.
She will be eligible for parole after serving five years and four months.
The convicted woman and men and the deceased were all users of methamphetamine.
- with AAP