The family of murdered West Herts College student Catherine Wynter have paid tribute to the "bright, bubbly, talented and intelligent" teen.

A blackbelt karate teacher, Tony Bushby, was sentenced to life in jail today for stabbing the 19-year-old to death as she babysat in Borehamwood on Boxing Day.

Bushby, 19, will serve a minimum of 25 years.

Following the sentencing Catherine’s family released a statement saying: "Katie was a loving daughter, sister and auntie and we are all so very proud of her. The last few months have been unbearable. Losing her has left a hole in our lives which can never be filled.

"Katie had so many friends and everyone who knew her, knew just how wonderful and unique she was.

"There aren’t enough words to describe what she meant to us and what kind of person she was but she was bright, bubbly, talented and intelligent. She was respectful and kind to anyone she met, she never lost her temper and for those who knew her we are confident you would have felt honoured. She was one in a million and is irreplaceable."

At the time of her death the former Queens’ School student, who was also known as Katie Briscoe, was studying an artist studying at West Herts College and due to graduate next year.

Her family added: "Katie had such a bright future which was brutally taken away from her for no reason. We will never forgive this monster for what he has done, he is pure evil. We question every day how he could have done what he did to our beautiful Katie and knowing that there were children in the house.

"His (Bushby’s) sentence is nothing less than he deserves however, at the end of it he will have his life.

"Not only do we struggle to get through every day without her he has ruined every Christmas for our family in the future as well. We as a family have been given a life sentence by him."