A FAMILY has paid tribute to a ‘superhero’ son, father, nephew, brother and uncle who was killed in the prime of his life.

While many people will remember Tarro “Taz” Grogan as a successful and dedicated mixed martial artist his family has been keen to portray the real Taz Grogan.

Mr Grogan, father to three-year-old Brooke and one-year-old Aroura, was fatally stabbed at a house in Roe Lee, Blackburn, in October.

However in a series of statements members of Taz’s family have described him as ‘loving’, ‘funny’ and someone to call on in a time of need.

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Taz’s auntie Kathryn Counsell, 34, said: “He had unconditional love for his children. He had unwavering loyalty to friends and mostly to his family.

“He was very artistic as shown by the portraits of his children. He wasn’t great at cooking and would visit his sister, Jade, his dad and my house all in the same day to get fed. He was funny and would come in and go straight to the fridge. He always made himself at home.

“As children we used to exercise and plan assault courses close to our house. When he became an adult he knew he would continue down the sports path. He had so much energy and was full of life. He was dedicated and fully committed to his mixed martial arts.

“He loved animals, especially his dogs. He loved life and he partied hard but he also enjoyed the family life. He was the clown of the family and he loved to make people laugh. Our smiles made him happy.

“He was no angel and he made mistakes but he had a good heart. After the children were born he became focused and had recently started university. He planned to better himself and further his education so he could make his children proud. We as a family will forever keep his memory alive and tell stories to his children so that they know how much he loved them and what a positive impact he had on our lives.”

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Freddie Grogan, nine, Taz’s youngest brother, said: “Taz was the best brother ever. To me he was like a superhero. He painted my picture and was more than a cage fighter. He was a really gentle soul.”

Jasmine Grogan, 16, Taz’s youngest sister, said: “Taz wasn’t just a brother to me he was a hero. He was always there to direct me down the right path in life. Taz was the person to always get me out of the trouble I had caused myself.”

Taz’s sister Jade Armstrong, 27, said: “In 2018 me and Taz started university together and on my first day I was lost, didn’t know where to go and and was panicking I was going to be late. Taz appeared from nowhere, calmed me down, got me a coffee and helped me find my class. This incident summed up the type of person he was. He was always there when I needed help. We should have been graduating together. Even though it’s difficult to continue without him, I’m going to stick with it to make him proud.”

Keira, six, Taz’s niece, said: “My favourite memory of uncle Taz is last year when he bought me glitter for my birthday even though mummy said I wasn’t allowed it and uncle Taz laughed when it got all in the carpet. I miss having sleepovers in uncle Taz’s house. He was so fun and had a big Wendy house in the bedroom that he let me and Brooke sleep in with lots of cushions.”