THE family of murder victim Martin Rusling say his killer’s life sentence will never make up for his tragic loss.

Jo Luckham said she has ‘no sympathy’ for murderer Carol Kemp, who met her brother Martin Rusling online and fatally stabbed him in the heart in his Portland home.

Kemp, 45, stabbed Martin with a kitchen knife in a rage after a conversation about living together.

She was jailed for life to serve a minimum of 13 years, after a jury found her guilty of murder at Winchester Crown Court.

Jo, 42, of Weymouth, watched the six day trial from the public gallery.

She said: “Carol’s sentence will never be enough. It serves her right. I have no sympathy for her.

“I was shocked seeing her in the flesh. She was moving her hands around to give evidence in court.

“I thought ‘you used those hands to kill Martin’.

“She was saying in court that she tried to resuscitate Martin with her lips.

“The thought that she last kissed him on the lips when I went to identify his body sickened me.”

Jo said her family, of Dorchester Road, Weymouth, have been under incredible strain since Martin’s death on December 28.

She and Martin’s parents Judy Butcher, 77, and Peter Rusling, 81, were unable to attend court because of illness.

“My dad has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.

“Our health has deteriorated drastically since Martin was killed,” Jo said.

The moment the jury unanimously reached its verdict was like a blur, she said.

“I couldn’t walk, my legs were like jelly and I was numb.

“Now that it’s over, I can’t ever forget but I have to try and move on.”

Martin’s mum Judy said she burst into tears when she heard the verdict.

She added: “Although Carol has lost someone she said she loved, it was only for a short period of time and it could never compare to the loss of our dear son and brother.

“It has turned our lives upside down.”

Jo says she has nightmares about Kemp, who she describes as ‘jealous and possessive’.

“I’ve been troubled with nightmares about Carol Kemp, who I would like to say I’m glad I have never met.

“Martin can no longer speak for himself but I feel that if that relationship between him and Carol had been as serious as made out by Carol at this trial, we as a family would have met her.

“Carol was a jealous and possessive person and Martin once commented that she could be quite scary sometimes and that he would have trouble ending the relationship, saying he knew she would keep coming back.

“I think she would have kept coming back to Martin.

“One time when he was in the pub she rang him 41 times in half an hour.”

Martin wanted to get married one day and have children, she said.

Jo added: “If we’d met Carol we’d have said to Martin ‘what are you doing with her?’ “He felt sorry for her. He wasn’t going to have her for Christmas at first but he felt sorry for her because she would have been on her own.

“I still can’t believe that Martin is dead. It just doesn’t sink in when I think about how he died, at the hands of someone else.

“It’s just unbelievable and overwhelming.”

Affectionate son and brother who ‘wouldn’t harm a fly’

MARTIN Rusling’s favourite saying was ‘life is precious’, his family said.

The former St Andrew’s and Thomas Hardye pupil would light up the room with his smile, his mum Judy Butcher said.

She added: “He wouldn’t harm a fly. Although he liked a drink he was never aggressive and drink would make him very affectionate.

“Through all this we realised Martin was so popular. So many people came through our door and they were sobbing their hearts out.”

Martin, who lived in Park Road, Easton, worked as a laminator for Tods Aerospace for 17 years.

His colleagues miss him deeply, his sister Jo said.

“There’s a corner where he used to work and they can’t go anywhere near it.

“They say the workplace will never be the same again.”

Jo said the pair were very close growing up together, living in a number of different pubs in Dorset and Somerset where their parents worked as publicans.

She said Martin would always put his arm around her in family photos.

“We had a very close bond.

“If I had a boyfriend he would check them out.

“We were still just as close as we grew older,” she said.

Martin’s dad Peter said: “Martin was not just my son but my best friend.”

Martin, who had around 170 mourners at his funeral, will be remembered for his sense of humour, Jo said.

She added: “Martin used to say silly things like: ‘We had a tortoise once and it ran away’ and it was pinned on a notice board at the pub as quote of the week.

“He would help his neighbour on Portland and would do odd jobs for her.”

The family said they wished to thank the Crown Prosecution Service, barrister Robert Davies, all the members of Dorset Police who were involved, charity Victim Support and the homicide unit, with a special thanks going to family liaison officer DC Lynn Cameron.

They also wish to thank everyone who has supported them since Martin’s murder.

Family liaison officer Detective Constable Lynn Cameron praised Jo’s bravery in watching Kemp be brought to justice.

She said: “Jo has been very brave. She’s been incredible, a real credit to her brother’s memory.

“She provided support for her family.”