Michael Payne, 45, had turned to drink when his eight year old daughter Sarah was murdered in 2000

Michael Payne, 45, had turned to drink when his eight year old daughter Sarah was murdered in 2000

The father of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne has died following a long battle with alcoholism.

Michael Payne, 45, was found dead at his home in Maidstone, Kent, on Monday. He had turned to drink when his eight year old daughter Sarah was murdered in 2000.

Sarah was abducted and killed by paedophile Roy Whiting after being abducted from a country lane close to her grandparents' home at Kingston, West Sussex.

Whiting was sentenced to life behind bars in January 2001, in what became one of Britain's most high profile child murder cases.

It later emerged that Whiting was already on the Sex Offenders Register after abducting and sexually attacking another eight-year-old.

Mr Payne’s son Lee, 27, a personal trainer, announced his father’s death on social media yesterday. 

He wrote: ‘Dad, you had your demons and troubles but you had a good heart and was a decent man.

‘I hope now you have found peace at last! RIP, you will be missed. We are all heartbroken.’

His daughter Charlotte, 19, also paid tribute, writing: ‘Heartbroken to say the least. No matter what happened and how many mistakes we all made.

'You will always be my daddy.

'I'm sorry I couldn't save you dad. I hope you have finally found your peace and happiness.'

Mr Payne, a former airport worker, separated from his wife Sara Payne less than three years after their daughter’s death. They were expecting their fifth child at the time.

Mr Payne, previously said that he felt ‘full of rage and guilt’ after his daughter’s murder.

He said: ‘I’ve a lot of anger and bitterness inside me. I’m full of guilt and rage that I wasn’t there to protect my little girl from that man.’

His wife said at the time: ‘We’re not the same people we once were, and everyone knows the full reason why.'

Later, she spoke of the effect their daughter's death had on Mr Payne and the difficulties men had in using victim support systems, the Guardian reported.

She said: 'I feel sympathy for any man in the situation. It’s not geared to dads. It doesn’t take into account their emotions. They have no one to turn to.' 

Sarah's parents, Michael and Sara Payne, pictured during the trial of Roy Whiting in November 2001

His daughter Charlotte Payne posted this heartfelt tribute to her father on Facebook last night

Michael and Sara Payne pictured together prior to their divorce. Mr Payne went on to battle alcoholism as he struggled to cope with the murder of their daughter

Police told The Sun newspaper last night that Mr Payne’s death was not being treated as suspicious.

In 2011, Mr Payne was jailed for 15 months after hitting his brother with a glass bottle. His brother, Stephen Payne needed 15 stitches in his hand.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that Mr Payne had consumed three litres of cider and a bottle and a bottle of vodka before the attack.

Defending solicitor Oliver Saxby told the judge before sentencing: ‘The assorted aftermath had a life-changing effect on him and his then wife and his family. It’s desperately sad.

‘He never sought nor was offered assistance with bereavement counselling.

'In a nutshell, he suffered the kind of experience that is every parent's enduring nightmare.' 

Roy Whiting (left) was convicted of murdering schoolgirl Sarah Payne (right) in 2000.

Sara and Michael leave a press conference in Littlehampton following their daughter's disappearance. The couple divorced less than three years after her death

The death of his daughter became one of Britain's most high profile child-murder cases and Mrs Payne later campaigned for ‘Sarah’s Law’.

The rule allows concerned parents or grandparents to contact police to find out if a new boyfriend, or a neighbour, who has contact with a child, has a history of child sex offending.

Last year around five families a week were being told by police about a paedophile who has had contact with their children and more than 700 child sex attackers were unmasked using the law. 

In 2008 Sara Payne suffered a stroke leaving her paralysed down the left side of her body.

'For a moment as I lay there I wondered if this was the point when Sarah and I would be reunited,' she said afterwards.

'I chose to live. When you've lost a child that's a hard thing to come to terms with.'