THE husband of murder victim Jackie Grant plans to mark their wedding anniversary today.

Bob Grant’s world fell apart when Stephen Streener, 49, wormed his way into Jackie’s life and persuaded her to leave her husband and move in with him. Jackie was killed by Streener just three months later. It is thought that, in a fit of jealous rage, he struck because she no longer planned to stay with him.

In August, Streener was sentenced to life for her murder after a court heard he punched her senseless, tightened a cord around her neck then set her body on fire as she lay in his bed.

She was found by firefighters on November 29, 2011, at Streener’s home at Meadow Bank Drive, Choppington, Northumberland.

Streener then went about trying to cover his tracks by sending affectionate text messages to his dead lover. He even sent a message from her phone to her husband saying she was leaving him.

Mr Grant, 54, a former speedway rider, told how he will visit Jackie’s grave on their anniversary today. He said: “I think about her every day, all the time. I put on a brave face. My son does as well. Our wedding day was the best day of my life. We were getting married and we knew Jackie was pregnant with our son Rob.

“On our wedding anniversary we would always go for a meal. We would just pick a place and head for it. This year and last are different. Me and Rob will visit her grave and take her some flowers. I always picked the wrong flowers for her, but I will be taking some.”

The couple met when Jackie was 16 and Mr Grant would drive through Ponteland to go to the speedway at Berwick. After spotting her on a number of occasions he finally plucked up the courage to ask her out. They were together for about five years when Jackie fell pregnant and the couple decided to get married.

“We were so happy on our wedding day, and on our anniversary I will be thinking about that day and the good times we had,” added Mr Grant, of Ponteland.

Jackie moved out of the family home when she went through a “bad patch” after her mother went to a care home after being diagnosed with dementia.

She started a relationship with Streener, who she met at Newcastle’s Brough Park dog track, where she worked as a snack bar supervisor.