A 34-year-old man has admitted murdering his former partner and her new boyfriend in planned attacks carried out over several hours.
A judge told Marcus Osbourne he faced an inevitable life sentence in prison after he pleaded guilty to murdering Katie Higton and Steven Harnett in May.
Higton, 27, and Harnett, 25, were found dead from injuries caused by a bladed weapon at Higton’s home in the Dalton area of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.
Osbourne, of Dalton, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two counts of murder when he appeared for a short hearing at Leeds crown court. He also admitted the false imprisonment and rape of another woman.
Judge Guy Kearl KC, the recorder of Leeds, told Osbourne: “You have pleaded guilty to the murder of two people – your former partner Katie Higton and her subsequent partner Steven Harnett – in circumstances in which you planned the attacks and you executed them over a period of several hours on May 15 of this year.”
The judge said a life prison sentence for the murders was inevitable and he would have to determine the minimum term Osbourne had to serve before he was considered for parole.
Osbourne stood in the glass-fronted dock surrounded by security guards, wearing a grey T-shirt and light-coloured trousers. He spoke to give his name and date of birth as well as to enter guilty pleas to all four counts.
Jonathan Sandiford KC, prosecuting, said time was needed so pathology, toxicology and other forensic reports could be completed before sentencing could take place.
John Elvidge KC, defending, said a further assessment of his client was also needed.
The judge remanded Osbourne in custody until he is sentenced at the same court on 4 October.
West Yorkshire police were called to a house in Dalton at 9.53am on 15 May after paramedics found Higton and Harnett, who had suffered multiple injuries and had died at the scene.
Police later referred themselves to the police watchdog because they had been in contact with the deceased and Osbourne in the days before the murders.
A spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct said: “We have received a mandatory referral from West Yorkshire police linked to the suspected murder of two people in Huddersfield.
“This is due to the fact officers had contact with both victims and a man who has since been arrested on suspicion of murder in the days prior to this tragic incident. We will now assess the available information to determine what further action may be required.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by these events.”
Higton was described by a former relative as “bubbly, outgoing, fun” and “a great mum”. He said two children were in the house at the time of the murders.
A card left with flowers at the scene said: “RIP my darling. We love you. No more suffering.”
