PETITE blonde Diane Hamer was secretly planning to leave her man...but he slaughtered her first in a frenzied knife attack.

Diane, 32, just 4ft 10in and weighing only six and a half stone, was murdered by her jealous 61-year-old partner, security officer Arthur Compsty, who then killed himself with exhaust gas in the garage.

Diane's mum, Noreen Nightingale, of Anne Close, Burnley, said: "She was like a doll. She stood no chance.''

The horrifying double tragedy happened at the troubled couple's brand new home in Grimsargh, near Preston.

Compsty left a suicide note clutched in Diane's dead hand saying: "I am going to kill her because I had given her everything and she was going to leave me.''

He left another note to his ex-wife before going out into the garden shed and gassed himself with fumes from his motor cycle.

Diane's elder sister June Falconer, of Reedley, a nurse at Burnley General Hospital, said: "He took the coward's way out. We cannot get revenge. We cannot even see him in court to call him the bastard he was.'' Diane was born and brought up in Burnley, attending Todmorden Road County Primary School and Towneley High School.

After leaving school she worked at several jobs until training as a hairdresser and getting a job in a town centre hairdresser's in Preston.

It was after moving there seven years ago that she met Arthur Compsty. She was working part-time in a cleaning job at premises where he was in charge of security.

Despite the big age difference they initially got on well and she moved in with him. "Having lost her own father I think she saw him as a father figure,'' said June.

But according to Diane's family, Compsty became more possessive and jealous. "He kept her virtually as a prisoner in her own home," said June.

"He would take her to work, pick her up from work and take charge of the money she earned.'' Mrs Nightingale added: "He was very jealous and envious. He was insecure because of the big age difference.

"She was a bonny girl and he did not like anyone looking at her.

"Over the past two years the relationship had deteriorated even further because she was a virtual prisoner. He would not let her out.

"She had told him she no longer had any feelings for him and they were in separate bedrooms."

Although Compsty did not know it, Diane was planning to return to Burnley on Wednesday.

She had found a flat above a shop in Nelson where she hoped to set up her own hairdressing shop.

"She was escaping to a new life. She had everything to live for,'' said June.

Diane, who has a 15-year-old son, Matthew, spent her last weekend at the home of her mum and step-father Donald.

June said: "He came for her at about 6 o'clock and took her home and cut her throat. "When he arrived he was very smartly dressed and said 'I have dressed up for you, Diane.'

"He acted perfectly normally. He said mum would be coming over to them in two week's time and they could have a night out.

"They left here at 6.35pm and he must have driven like a maniac because they were home at about seven o'clock.

"She had not even got her coat off when he stabbed her all over and cut her throat. Her hands were cut as she tried to protect herself.''

Diane has a brother, Jimmy Hamer, who lives in Brunshaw Avenue, Burnley.

The family are provisionally making arrangements for the funeral next Friday at Burnley Crematorium.

Police said they believe Compsty murdered Diane then killed himself. They are not looking for anyone else.

Separate inquests will be held in Preston early next week.

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