Grace Millane’s mother reveals she is ‘serving a life sentence’ for her daughter’s sickening murder on a Tinder date as she receives OBE for climbing Kilimanjaro for charity: ‘I will never see my Grace in a wedding dress to see’

Grace Millane’s heartbroken mother has revealed she is serving a ‘life sentence’ for the sickening murder of her daughter on a Tinder date.

Grace was brutally murdered by Jesse Kempson, who she met on the dating app, on the eve of her 22nd birthday while backpacking in New Zealand five years ago.

A week-long search continued for the young woman after she failed to respond to her family’s birthday message on December 2 and was eventually found dead in New Zealand bushland.

Grace’s mother Gillian Millane told the BBC this morning that she will ‘never see Grace in a wedding dress’ as she continues to mourn the loss of her daughter.

“She was a sweet, family-oriented girl. If she was your girlfriend, she was your girlfriend for life. She was my best friend and always wanted to travel,” Gillian said.

“She had such a bright future, and it was taken away from her, and it was taken away from us. I will never see Grace in a wedding dress, and I will never have any grandchildren from her. This is the life sentence I have.”

Just two years after Grace’s death, Gillian also lost her husband David to cancer. The mother channeled her grief into physical problems and was awarded an OBE last year for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money to tackle domestic violence against women.

Grace’s mother Gillian Millane (pictured) told the BBC this morning that she will ‘never see Grace in a wedding dress’

Gillian received an OBE last year for climbing Kilimanjaro for charity

Heartbreaking footage shows Gillian breaking down in tears as she reached the top of the mountain and laid down two stones with Grace and David’s names on them.

Gillian and her family have since started a campaign called Love Grace, where they collect donated handbags and fill them with toiletries for victims of domestic violence.

“I’m not over it, I’ll never get over it, but I just know that I have to make the world a better place, and no other family has to go through what we went through and what we’re going through. and that must be a good thing,’ said Gillian.

Grace’s killer Kempson, then 26, claimed in court that Grace’s death was an accident and that she had asked to be strangled during sex – but the jury saw through his lies and unanimously convicted him of murder. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Gillian today described Grace as a ‘sweet, family-oriented girl’

Gillian and her family have started a campaign called Love Grace, where they collect donated handbags and fill them with toiletries for victims of domestic violence

Gillian told the BBC that her daughter Grace was her ‘best friend’

Jesse Kempson, then 26, was found guilty of murder after claiming Grace’s death was an accident during rough sex

Grace (right), pictured with her parents and two brothers before the trip that would lead to her murder

Gillian has spent the last five years campaigning to change the law on defense against ‘rough sex’, raising money for charities and helping victims of domestic abuse.

The mother credits her loved ones, long walks and “a lot of guidance” for surviving her “really dark time.”

She previously told the BBC: ‘I have considered suicide. That’s a horrible place to be. But I couldn’t cause the family any more grief. Grace had such a bright future and it was taken from her and from us.

‘I will never see Grace in a wedding dress or see her grandchildren. This is a life sentence I have. This is me until the day I die. But there is a light and I have found it. You have to find that inner strength.’