THE cousin of Michael Clarke has said he wants nothing more to do with the other side of his family after the double murderer's sister sold her story to a magazine.

Gary Pemberton, 35, from Oldham, who is Joan Clarke's nephew, said he was utterly disgusted to see Milroy Clarke's daughter Sarah Leyfield, cashing in on the tragedy by selling a story to Pick Me Up magazine.

He said his grandmother, Joan's mother, who is 78, was especially upset by the story and was now scared to pick up any magazines for fear of having the whole thing brought up again.

Mr Pemberton said: "My gran picked up the magazine and saw Joan's picture staring out at her. I can't believe Roy's own daughter would do this. "We could do it. We could contact one and sell a story for the money but we find the whole thing appalling. We'd never think of selling the story just to make a few hundred quid.

"Sarah should think about other members of the family who are not money orientated who are afraid to read any form of magazine now for fear of having all the happenings of the last 15 months relived time and time again."

The first time he met Mrs Leyfield was at the funeral but he has not spoken to her since and now says he never wants to. But Mrs Leyfield, 39, defended her decision to sell her story to the magazine. She said: "He might believe people are getting money out of this but my children have lost out on their grandparents and the money that I have been given will buy them things that their grandparents would have."

Mr Pemberton said he was also angry with Ken Nurdin, the Clarke's next-door neighbour who has also had a story published in Chat magazine.

"In this day and age clearly friendship means nothing," he said. "I find it very sad that people feel they have to make money out of other people's misery."

Tracy Nurdin insisted her husband had not received any money for the story, which appeared in Chat magazine.

"He did it as a tribute piece to Roy and Joan as they were not just our neighbours but good friends," she said. "We did not feel that the article sounded much like a tribute in the end but that's what we intended."

He said Mrs Clarke's side of the family, who live in Oldham, were still finding it difficult to believe that Michael was responsible for his parents' deaths. He had not seen his cousin for several years but said Joan was in contact with his mum, her sister.

"She used to come and stay in our house and we knew Michael when he was growing up," he said. "I don't know what to believe, like other people I can't understand why he'd do something like that."

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