Man murdered sister and covered body with tarpaulin

Kevin Shepherd pleaded guilty to murder on the day his trial was due to begin at Basildon Crown Court

A man has admitted murdering his sister and leaving her body under a tarpaulin in his garden.

Sharon Butler, 64, was fatally injured when she was attacked by Kevin Shepherd, 55, at his home in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.

Police officers found a knife in a plant pot when they arrived at the scene on 7 November 2023.

Shepherd, of Whitehouse Meadows, admitted murder on Tuesday and will be sentenced on Monday.

He was due to face trial at Basildon Crown Court but changed his plea on the day proceedings were due to begin.

Sharon Butler was found fatally injured in her brother's garden

Shepherd called the police shortly after 21:00 GMT on 7 November last year and claimed his sister was unconscious after they "fought".

When officers arrived, they found Ms Butler in the garden, covered with a tarpaulin.

She was declared dead by paramedics and Shepherd was arrested.

Ms Butler's family said their world was "shattered".

"Our lives will never be the same without her. She never will be forgotten and will be forever in our hearts," they said in a statement issued at the time of her death.

Det Ch Insp Terry Balding, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said his officers had showed nothing but "professionalism and dedication" during a "sensitive" investigation.

Police found a knife "stabbed into a plant pot" at Shepherd's house in Leigh-on-Sea