A Margate mother has this afternoon been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering her partner - just hours after he was released from a prison sentence.

Janice Carter, 28, wept as she was told she will serve at least 12 years before she is eligible for parole.

She plunged a kitchen knife through the heart of 30-year-old Kevin Carter during a frenzied attack at their home.

Blonde-haired Carter, who admitted stabbing her ex-husband in self-defence but denied murder, knifed him 24 times after a reunion between the couple turned sour during an argument.

A jury of eight women and four men at Canterbury Crown Court found her guilty of murder this afternoon by an 11-1 majority.

Passing sentence, Judge Adele Williams told her: "It started out as a defence - but turned to attack."

The pair had a long history of alcohol-fuelled domestic violence. Although they had divorced three years before the murder, they had recently got back together.

Christopher May, prosecuting, had told how Mr Carter - who had been serving an 180-day sentence for motoring offences - had been looking forward to his early release last October.

"There were, however, some sources of tension between the two of them in the run up to his release from prison," he said.

"One of these concerned the arrangements for the terms of his release."

The two had been drinking beer and spirits during the evening and playing loud music at their flat in Sweyn Road, Margate, the court was told.

But when officials from G4S arrived to install an electronic monitoring device inside the flat, which was part of the conditions of the prison release, the couple fell out.

Mr May said: "The tagging equipment was eventually installed in the bedroom and Janice carter was described as not happy about that, though she was joking and hugging the G4S employees."

A neighbour - who had been drinking with the couple earlier - returned to his flat, but could hear the couple shouting.

"i've killed him. i've stabbed him. i think he's dead…” – murderer janice carter

Mr May said: "He was able to make out some of the swear words. He could also hear Janice's voice getting louder and it sounded like there was a full-blown row between the two."

Between 8pm and 8.20pm, the neighbour heard three hollow thumps and Mr Carter shouting.

"There was another hollow thump and after that there was no more shouting," Mr May said. "After 10 minutes he heard an internal door slam and after that just the sound of music. At 9pm the music suddenly went off."

The prosecutor added Carter had gone to the home of her sister, Michelle Cheney, in Zion Place and told her:"I've killed him. I've stabbed him. I think he's dead."

Her brother-in-law went to the flat and found Mr Carter lying on the kitchen floor with a kitchen knife by his side.

Mrs Carter told her sister: "I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to do it. I never hurt anyone. Michelle, I said to Kevin: 'Please wake up. Please wake up'. But he wouldn't wake up."

A pathologist discovered some of the knife wounds had penetrated his heart and lung and severed an artery.