A vile rapist has admitted to killing his girlfriend and her new boyfriend, all in one night of terror. Marcus Osbourne, 34, stabbed Katie Higton, 27, to death alongside Steven Harnett, 25, inside the victims’ Huddersfield home back in May. Osbourne appeared at Leeds Crown Court today where he admitted two counts of murder. He also admitted to the false imprisonment and rape of another woman.
The court heard that Osbourne killed the lovers in “circumstances in which you planned the attacks and you executed them over a period of several hours”.
Judge Guy Kearl KC, the Recorder of Leeds, remanded Osbourne in custody and said he will be sentenced on October 4.
Judge Kearl 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.”
He told the Osbourne he faces an inevitable life sentence for the murders and the judge in October will have to determine the minimum term he must serve before he is considered for parole.
Osborne stood in the glass-fronted dock surrounded by security guards wearing a grey T-shirt and light-coloured trousers.
He stabbed both of the lovers to death just hours after they had a cinema date. Just 12 hours before the attack, Ms Higton smiled in selfies on her Snapchat.
Ms Higton used to be in a relationship with Osbourne who she met at the gym where he was working in 2018. One friend claimed the controlling criminal made her break ties with her male friends. He also trawled through her social media.
West Yorkshire Police said officers were called to Ms Higton’s address at 9.53 am on Monday, May 15 after paramedics found two people with multiple injuries believed to have been inflicted by a bladed weapon.
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