The families of Simon Gorecki and Natasha Sadler-Ellis will today mark the first anniversary since their murders.

In the year that has passed they have laid their loved ones to rest and seen the man responsible jailed.

On March 29 last year the couple were knifed to death at a house in Canterbury. Six months later their killer Foster Christian started a life sentence for his crimes.

Scroll down for video

The murders took place at a house in Dickens Avenue on the Poets Estate at just after 7pm after the couple became embroiled in a row with the 54-year-old mechanic about hot water coming from a shower.

Christian produced a knife and stabbed Simon, 47, five times, four times to the back.

Natasha, 40, also sustained repeated stab wounds, including one which which entered her head above the left eyebrow and followed down inside her lower jaw.

Both died at the scene.

VIDEO: Sally and Adam Devlin told KMTV how they're coping a year on

Also injured in the mayhem was Miss Sadler's son Connaugh Harris, 20 at the time, who had gone to his mother's aid. A boy aged 16 at the time also recovered from life-threatening injuries.

It was Christian, a serial violent offender well known to the judicial system, who had phoned police.

He claimed that Simon and Natasha had attacked him with a knife and that he had merely armed himself after they showed up at his room to complain that he turned water on while Simon was showering.

His claim of self-defence would ultimately form the basis of his courtroom defence.

In a trial which started in October at Maidstone Crown Court, Christian claimed that Simon had attacked him and that he had retaliated.

His story was unanimously rejected by an all-male jury.

Sentencing him to life with a minimum tariff of 30 years, Judge Mr Justice Stuart-Smith told Christian: "Your allegation that Mr Gorecki came at you with a knife was a lie.

"The violence that followed took place to the threshold of your room, but on any view what you did was way over the top.

"It was literally a murderous attack on not just Mr Gorecki, who had a cider can but not a knife, and also Ms Sadler-Ellis, who was unarmed, and on the 16-year-old, who was also unarmed.

“The wounds you inflicted speak for themselves.

"I don't know if you have ever stopped pitying yourself or deludedly thinking that you can justify what you did long enough to consider the impact your knife attack had, not just on the people you attacked and wounded, but on those affected by the loss of life you caused."

Christian's life sentence was greeted with cheering in the packed Maidstone courtroom. The killer reacted by extending his middle finger towards friends and family of his victims.

His convictions include wounding with intent of the 16-year-old and unlawfully wounding Mr Harris.

Two women from Canterbury were also sentenced for their part in Christian's crimes. Naomi Toro, 37, of Keyworth Mews on the Brymore Estate, was jailed for a year after she disposed of the knife Christian had used by throwing it into the Stour at Fordwich.

Samantha Groombridge, 20, of Downs Road, was sentenced to 10 weeks youth custody after helping to conceal the knife.

Natasha Sadler Ellis's family particularly have campaigned to ask the Crown Prosecution Service to call for a review of the sentences on the basis that they were too lenient.

Her funeral took place in May in Margate, where she grew up.

Simon's funeral took place at Barham Crematorium near Canterbury in June. Members of his family are understood to be visiting the crematorium today.