A FORMER RAF serviceman has been charged with shooting dead a Cornish businessman and trying to murder his wife and eldest daughter.

Adam Hustler was gunned down at his home at Porth Kea, near Truro, Cornwall, on September 20.

His wife Amanda was also shot but survived, as did their daughter Danielle, 20, who was uninjured.

Devon and Cornwall Police said last night they had charged Miss Hustler's former boyfriend, Jonathan Cock, with murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Mr Hustler, managing director of waste pumping company Clear-Flow, was fatally wounded and his wife was shot twice in the back as she tried to flee the seven-bedroom house.

The couple's other daugther Abigail, 16, was also at the property at the time but she escaped injury. Mr Hustler, a devout Jehovah's Witness along with his wife, was described as a caring and loving man in a tribute by the family released soon after his death.

The family said: "Adam Hustler was a loving husband and father. He was a generous and caring person who thought the world of his wife and daughters. He was thoughtful and always ready to help and support others when they needed help. He is a great loss to all who knew him, and especially those that shared his Christian values."

Paying tribute to her "wonderful son", Mr Hustler's mother Maureen, from Perranarworthal, Truro, said the family was "devastated" by the death.

She added: "You cannot imagine the devastation a mother and father feel to lose their first-born child like this.

"We are a very close family and it is impossible to put into words how we have been left feeling. I can't express the pain we are all going through."

The murder charge came after Cock was released from hospital where he had been receiving treatment since the incident for facial wounds.

A police spokesman said: "Following the incident which occurred on September 20 at Porth Kea, near Truro, Devon and Cornwall Major Crime Investigation Team have undertaken the investigation into the alleged murder of Adam Hustler and alleged attempted murder of his wife and eldest daughter.

"On Thursday, police were able to interview the suspect following his release from hospital where he has been receiving treatment since the incident."

The death of Mr Hustler shocked the close-knit community of Porth Kea.

Speaking at the time, Tim Mears, a family friend and fellow Jehovah's Witness, spoke about the effect the shooting had had on Mrs Hustler. He said: "This has been a devastating shock to her and she is coping with severe physical and emotional pain over the loss of her husband.

"Despite this, her first thoughts were for others and her concern for her family and daughters was very evident.

"The family has asked me to thank all those in the local community, both on a personal and business level, who have been so supportive and thoughtful to them."

It is understood Cock, a former RAF avionics technician and promising rugby player, worked for the family's drain clearance business in 2007 with Miss Hustler, who is an engineer at the firm. He was arrested a few hours after the alleged attack at an address in Penzance, West Cornwall.

The Western Morning News recently reported that Mrs Hustler has been making steady progress in treatment to help her walk again. The mother-of-two is being treated at Derriford Hospital where she has been since the shooting.

Speaking recently, Mr Mears said: "Amanda is continuing to make a strong recovery. She has been able to move her legs and has been making attempts to walk.

"While she is coping with severe physical and emotional pain, she very much appreciates the loving practical support she has received from family and friends.

"She is being sustained by her faith in God and the hope that provides for the future."

After an application by police to Truro magistrates, Cock was remanded in custody to appear before Truro Crown Court on November 21.