The family of Noah Smith, who was murdered by his father while on holiday in South Africa, says "justice will never be fully realised".

A coroner today ruled the nine-year-old was unlawfully killed by his dad, Vuyo Tame, on January 8 at a hotel in Johannesburg.

Speaking outside the Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone today, detective inspector Kaye Braybrook, said on behalf of the family: "Today we grieve for Noah, we miss him more than can be expressed in a few words.

"Our family know that all those who knew Noah have had their lives tarnished and are shocked to the core by his murder.

"We are very upset that justice for Noah will never be fully realised due to his murderer's suicide but feel it is important in Noah's memory that his life and character is remembered and celebrated.

"We believe the full story of the events and nature of his killing presented to the coroner today will allow everyone to have a greater understanding of the circumstances of Noah's death.

"Our family are rocked by the facts that are presented today and these bring very little comfort to us. Our deepest issue is we will never know the full truth of what led to Noah's death.

"We will continue to speculate in our minds as to what truly happened and what led to this murder and the ultimate betrayal of Noah at the hands of his father.

"This will continue to torture us for the rest of our lives.

"The effects of Noah's murder have rippled both through our family and his close friends.

"For Noah, there will be no school leaving prom, no graduation or marriage that we can share in celebrating..." Noah's family

"As a family we are faced with a hole in our birthdays, Christmases and lives. As a family we are left to dwell on what might have been.

"We will continue to have Noah living in our hearts and minds but cannot hope to console the loss of a bright and wonderful future that we could have shared with him.

"For Noah, there will be no school leaving prom, no graduation or marriage that we can share in celebrating.

"We feel very sad that there are friends of Noah who have lost some of their innocence and a good friend.

"For his school friends there is a tree planted by them in their school, positioned to be part of the action, exactly where Noah would have been.

"For Noah's scout friends, another tree will shortly be planted in his memory.

"As time has passed we have taken great solace in the comments from others about how Noah touched either their or their children's lives in such a positive manner, from reports of confidence boosting and encouragement to kind words.

"We have a strong feeling Noah was a positive force in many people's lives and he will be missed for these selfless actions that characterised him and make his family very proud of what he achieved in his very short life.

"It is one of the greatest sorrows to our family that Noah is not still with us to continue to touch people in this way.

"Today is another very important chapter in Noah's story and with so many chapters that will now not be written we feel there is a need to share some of what made Noah special to us.

"I feel my life is completely fractured and I am now not sure how I can go on..." Vicky Smith, Noah's mum

"Noah loved life, whether playing games, having picnics, building sandcastles, having family time or playing with friends.

"He loved pyjama days watching films,and playing games with his mum, he loved Michael Jackson, wearing onesies and his favourite colour was blue.

"Noah was a black belt in kung-fu and showing an aptitude for stick fighting.

"Noah enjoyed sports, playing both football and tennis at school. Dancing, drama and swimming were also relished activities. Noah had so many talents, interests and abilities.

"Noah had a rare, unforgettable charisma but also such humility. He was fun-loving and mischievous, giving, caring, bright and a beautiful boy.

"He was clearly destined for great achievements in life wherever that life would have led him.

"As a family we wish to thank Kent Police's major crime team for their diligent work to discover the facts of Noah's death, while offering as much understanding and compassion as is possible in delivering the worst facts and information to a grieving family.

"We also wish to thank Terry Allen and his team of funeral directors for assisting us in our time of need with some of the most difficult practical things.

"We are grateful to our employers for their continuing support and understanding.

"We also wish to thank in advance the charities such as Murdered Abroad, Compassionate Friends and Victim Support, as we know they will continue to support us on our long, unending journey forward."

A statement from Noah's mum, Vicky Smith, said: "I feel my life is completely fractured and I am now not sure how I can go on, but I know that I must, and I will endeavour to honour Noah's precious memory.

"I take some comfort that Noah knew he was so loved, wanted and was very happy and content in his short life with me."