The sister of a woman who was killed by a former armed robber will be "haunted" forever after encouraging her sibling to become a pen pal with him.
Tracey Kidd wrote to Paul Vissers when he was an inmate at prison, including Wayland, before the two of them moved in together after he left jail in April 2019.
Vissers, 41, has this week been given an extended 10-year sentence after having previously admitted the manslaughter of 57-year-old Miss Kidd in March 2020.
The former Heartsease High School pupil, who died from a head injury, was found by police at a property in Charnwood Street, London, on March 17 last year.
Gerry Steward, one of Tracey's siblings, who lives on Motum Road in Norwich, said she would always be haunted by the fact she had helped put her sister in touch with Vissers while in prison in the first place.
The 56-year-old said: "I can't get it out of my head, I blame myself. She would still be here if it wasn't for me, that's how I feel."
She said Tracey's two children had insisted none of what happened was her fault, but admitted "it haunts me".
Vissers was at Wayland Prison with Gerry's son who was serving a sentence for driving offences.
She said Vissers, who was serving a sentence for armed robbery, and her son "got on really well".
Gerry said Vissers would say "I don't have anyone writing to me or don't see anyone".
She said Tracey said she got really bored when she had no programmes to watch and so suggested to her sister, who was good at writing, that she might want to have a prison pen pal.
"I said my son had met a bloke in there (prison) who hasn't got anyone to write to him.
"I said 'would you like to write a letter to a pen pal in prison?' I said 'you can do that if you like?'"
Gerry got stamps and paper for her sister to be able to become a pen pal, but tried to spell out that "whatever you do, don't hand over your phone number, don't go and see him - it's just a pen pal and a pen pal only".
She remembered Tracey replied "I'm not stupid".
It was about 10 years ago that Tracey began writing to Vissers and before long she was visiting him in prison before they continued their relationship after he was released.
She said that after coming out of prison, Vissers was able to wrestle Tracey fully away from the rest of her family.
Gerry said: "He fully alienated her from her family."
She said Tracey went to London with Vissers in October 2019 for his mother's funeral, but did not return.
The death of Tracey, a mother to Chas, 30, and Tara, 38, has devastated the entire family as well as her many friends.
Tracey, who had six other sisters and a brother as well as being a grandmother to three and great-grandmother to one, is much missed by all, particularly her children.
Gerry said Chas felt "I've lost my life, I've lost my whole world, soul mate and best friend" and was still struggling to come to terms with the loss of his mum who "did everything for him".
Tracey's death has also devastated her daughter who lost a baby as a result of the stress of her mother's death but who has since given birth to a son who her mother will never get the chance to meet.
The comments come following previous tributes to Tracey
Gerry said: "She was a beautiful sister. She had lots and lots of friends. "She didn't deserve that."
Tracey's funeral took place last year during lockdown and despite Motum Road being lined with family and friends, not everyone was permitted to attend the service.
But Gerry said the plan was now to lay Tracey's ashes to rest with their father, John, in a plot at Earlham Crematorium in a service that can be attended by everyone.
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