MURDER victims Nicola West's parents today told in how they had listened in horror during the duration of the five week trial.It is the first time the devastated family has told of their anguish over the tragedy and paid tribute to their beloved daughter.

MURDER victims Nicola West's parents today told in how they had listened in horror during the duration of the five week trial.

It is the first time the devastated family has told of their anguish over the tragedy and paid tribute to their beloved daughter.

Today jurors in the body in the boot murder trial at Ipswich Crown Court decided that the charity worker was murdered by two Ipswich men.

The jury took five days to reach its verdicts in the trial of Robert McCarry and Paul Waters.

Both men were convicted of murdering the 34-year-old of Leatherbottle Hill, Little Blakenham on February 8 last year near the dry ski-slope at Wherstead.

McCarry, 37, of Vernon Street, Ipswich was convicted of raping Miss West and Waters, 29, of Sandpiper Road was convicted of attempting to rape her.

Both men were found guilty of perverting the course of public justice after they put Miss West's body in the boot of Waters' Ford Escort car and drove around the country for two days before informing Ipswich police. McCarry was also convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

McCarry's former girlfriend, Carla Huggins, had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

The statement from Miss West's parents read: “Over the five weeks duration of the trial we have listened in horror to details of the appalling crimes committed against our Nicola.

“Even now we do not know the true location of Nicola's death due to the conflicting stories of McCarry and Waters who have backgrounds which are completely alien to our family.

“Now between them these men can add murder, rape, attempted rape, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and pervert the course of justice to their already amoral lifestyles.

“No remorse has been shown by either man in court. As a family we cannot imagine how they can live with their consciences in the knowledge of what they have done and the injury, pain and suffering they have inflicted not only on Nicola but also on our family and her friends, some of whom are still undergoing medical treatment and unable to return to normal life as a consequence.

“As a family we remember our Nicola as an unconditionally loving, caring, honest, hardworking and beautiful woman. “She was immensely thoughtful, elegant, hilariously funny and a great listener who was never judgmental.

“She was also an incredibly brave woman whose life and future was unnecessarily and brutally cut short at the age of 34.

“She was totally committed to our family and was our ray of sunshine. All we have now are our memories and photographs. We are also left with the knowledge that she suffered rape, a merciless beating and strangulation before departing this world.

“The sentences imposed on these vile men are a legal ending to these crimes but are in no way adequate recompense for our family and Nicola's fiancé and friends. We still have to live our lives without her. She was taken from us so young and so tragically that we are still in deep shock. The void that we are left with will never be filled and we are each left with a life sentence of our own.

“We would like to thank the jury for their time, patience and clear understanding of the evidence in reaching the correct verdicts.

“In conclusion, we would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation and gratitude to the legal team of Karim Khalil, Andrew Shaw and the CPS as well as the Police, in particular Dave Cole, Alan Seaman, Derek Riley, Gary Heath and Peter Ferrie, for all their continued support to our family and their hard work in bring McCarry and Waters to justice for their crimes against Our Nicola.

“We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our family and friends who have tried so very hard to ease our pain and have lent their strength throughout this hell within which we are now living and who we know will continue to do so.”