The brother of a pregnant woman, murdered two decades ago by her husband, has said her family has endured 20 years of anguish.

It comes as a jury unanimously found Andrew Griggs, 57, guilty of killing 34-year-old Debbie Griggs from Deal and disposing of her body.

Speaking from the steps of Canterbury Crown Court, Derek Cameron was relieved at this afternoon's verdict.

In a message to Debbie's recently deceased mother he said: "Mum, if you’re listening, we have finally got him."

He went on to say their closure won't be complete without finding Debbie's body and appealed to her husband: "Where is the body Andrew?"

Debbie went missing from her home in Cross Road, Walmer on May 5, 1999.

The prosecution said there had been no trace of life since that day.

Her mother Pat Cameron made repeated pleas for her to come home but, in her interviews with KentOnline always maintained that she believed Debbie's husband was responsible.

Mr Cameron, speaking with Debbie's father behind him, added: "Twenty years, this is how long this has taken to come to justice.

"Twenty years of anguish, torment, heartache. Twenty years of hurt, pain, despair and emotional turmoil.

"Twenty years without a daughter, sister, grandchildren and nephews.

"Twenty years of lost communication with three young boys without their mother.

"Finally, twenty years have come to a conclusion, we can at last put this to bed.

"This is now closure with our vindications now prevalent. We will never forget Debbie who was an amazing daughter, a remarkable sister an extraordinary committed compassionate person.

"Not only to her friends but to everyone.

"She was a compassionate doting mother with unequivocal love for her children who met the absolute world to her, she will be forever in our thoughts.

"This is an immense day for us, a long time coming. We would like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service for reinvestigating and ultimately charging him. Our sincere gratitude goes to the police for bringing him to justice.

"We are truly touched by the excellent testimonies concerning Debbie’s character from her friends.

"Most of all to our QC Duncan Atkinson for his drive in convincing the incredible jury to rummage through his manipulative web of deceit and lies.

"To the jury for having the conviction and wherewithal for pass a guilty judgement. An almighty sense of relief has now been unburdened.

"For Debbie we are all so sorry that this has taken so long but for mum, if you’re listening, we have finally got him.

"We appeal to the defendant if he can see within his wisdom to perhaps telling us where Debbie’s body is so we can put the ultimate closure to this.

"Where is the body Andrew?"

Griggs, 57, moved to Dorset a few months after Debbie disappeared.

He had denied killing Debbie.

The prosecution had alleged Griggs had carried out the crime after Debbie found out about an affair he was having with a 15-year-old.

But Griggs insisted she had left the family home in a rage after he came home from work and fell asleep.

Her car - a white Peugeot 309 - was found abandoned days after her disappearance, 1.3 miles from their home in Cross Road, Walmer and a smear of her blood was discovered inside the vehicle.

The couple's relationship had become strained and sometimes violent after Debbie suspected Griggs’ alleged affair with the girl, forcing the pair to split.

The couple ran Griggs Freezer Centre in South Street, Deal, together at the time she disappeared.

On March 2, 1999, days before Debbie vanished, Griggs set their joint business bank account up in just his name.

He claimed this was because she had taken the company check books, but under cross examination the prosecutor told the court he had done this before she took them.

In a diary, she described him as “bombastic and bullying” and said that he “has a bad temper and if things do not go his way he gets very nasty,” though she said he had not actually hit her, the court heard.

Extracts from an affidavit, written by Debbie that year, were also read to the jury.

"Everything we have together is in fact his, and I am only allowed to enjoy anything that is a joint matrimonial asset by reason of being with him.

"He does not let me go out by myself. His needs come first. He tells me I am sick and mad in the head," it said.

It went on to claim Griggs kneed her in the stomach while she was pregnant.

The court previously heard weeks before Debbie vanished, Griggs told a welder he "wished she was dead".

Griggs told Peter Monks, who ran Fabweld Services in Deal, he was suffering "money problems in relation to his wife".

Discrepancies in his police statements were told to the court, including testimonies from two neighbours who claimed they saw Debbie's car reversing from the drive at 2pm and again at 4pm, that time leaving the garage door open. It was closed a few hours later by morning.

Griggs, now remarried and living in St Leonard's, was charged with Debbie's murder on March 12 this year.

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