Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

A statement has just been read on behalf of "child three", who says they have a "profound level of hate" for Virginia McCullough.

"Your lies about our parents' actions and their whereabouts made out as if they didn’t value seeing us," they wrote.

"You have left a hole in my heart forever and a piece of me died with them the day you took them from us."

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Lois McCullough's brother has told the court how the murders have left him "overwhelmed with sadness", particularly at how he was duped by his niece Virginia McCullough into thinking messages he received from her had been sent by his sister and her husband.

He says: "Virginia... has spread many lies and stories to cover her murders. It undermines my faith in humanity.

"I still have letters sent to me. I know now some of the contact, with what I believed to be Lois and John, was not them.

"Some moments and conversations I believe I was having were not true."

The brother continues: "There are precious times with Lois and John I will miss out on because of the wicked act of their own daughter.

"Virginia is dangerous and my biggest fear is she will plan something, as she is manipulative and now has a lot of time to plan."

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

We are now hearing statements read on behalf of Virginia McCullough's siblings, who have been granted anonymity by the judge.

"Child one" says they have been left "devastated and bereft" at the deaths of their parents.

"To me this situation is quite literally a living nightmare from which I will never wake up," they write.

"The haunting thoughts of [whether] my parents suffered, if they were taunted."

"Child two" says they feel "sick to my core" every day.

"We have been cruelly robbed of more loving memories and bonds with our mum and dad for years to come," they add.

"How dare Virginia rob us of that life?

"So many lies have been told to cover the horrific truth that she had murdered our loving mum and dad."

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Image source, Steve Huntley/BBC

The court hears that Virginia McCullough told police officers "if one went, I knew the other had to", in relation to murdering her parents at their home on Pump Hill in Great Baddow.

We are about to hear a victim impact statement read by a member of the McCullough family.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Virginia McCullough benefited from £149,697 as a result of murdering her parents, the prosecution says.

A total of £135,998 of that was from their pensions, with a further £7,800 on their credit cards.

Other money was gained by selling assets, the court hears.

"The money appears to have been frittered away and not spent on expensive or lavish items," the prosecutor adds.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Virginia McCullough lied about having a job so her parents believed she was working towards a positive future, the court hears.

However, Lois McCullough was tricked into thinking her daughter was not being paid for it.

"I do hope Gin gets her full salary. Keep your fingers crossed for us," Lois McCullough wrote in an email to a friend.

The prosecution says: "The defendant was actively engaged in fraud and deception on her parents before the killings."

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

The mass scale of Virginia McCullough's offending is so extensive, some members of the public gallery have started taking notes down.

Some of those watching proceedings have been visibly shocked by some of the facts we have heard so far.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Image source, Essex Police

We are now hearing how Virginia McCullough (pictured) dug herself a huge financial black hole prior to the 2019 murders.

"There is clear evidence that the defendant was, during the latter part of her parents' life, falsifying her employment, stealing money and trying to get loans without their knowledge," the prosecutor says.

Virginia McCullough told her parents they had been scammed and would create false documents from financial organisations to dupe her parents about where their money was going, they add.

The defendant would then tell her parents she was working to get their money back, but would often say repayment had been delayed.

We have also heard how, that following the murders, Virginia McCullough spent £21,000 on online gambling up until 2023.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Virginia McCullough started crying towards the end of those accounts from the prosecution about how she killed her parents.

She was passed a tissue from one of the dock officers sat by her side.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

We are now hearing how Virginia McCullough recounted the murders to police.

Describing her mother Lois, she told officers: "She looked so innocent; she was just sat there listening to the radio.

"I did go in three times to build up some gumption but I knew I had to get it done and can’t hesitate.

"She was just staring at me in disbelief."

McCullough described the hammer blows she delivered to her mother as like "someone badly playing the xylophone - it was willy-nilly".

She said afterwards she held her mother's hand and "said to her repeatedly 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry'", prosecutors tell the court.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

After the murders, Virginia McCullough sent texts using her dead mother's phone to her siblings, the court has just heard.

The killer also sent gift cards to them in Lois McCullough's name,

She would also refuse all approaches from family to catch up or meet.

On one occasion, she even called the police pretending to be Lois McCullough, the prosecutor says.

"[She was] telling the police that [her parents] were staying at different family members’ addresses and that the defendant had been looking after [the family home] since the late summer of 2019," they add.

The court is also told McCullough made 185 calls to the GP surgery between the murders and her arrest, including calls pretending to be her mother.

"Covid restrictions [which began in March 2020] were a stroke of luck for this defendant in pursuing the deception that her parents were still alive," the prosecutor adds.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

The court is now told Victoria McCullough decided to murder her mother because she was scared of being reported for murdering her father.

Lois McCullough had been in bed, listening to the radio with headphones on when her daughter set upon her.

"After hesitating, [McCullough] described going in and out of the bedroom three or four times," the prosecutor says.

"She put a pair of gloves on and hit her mother on the head with a hammer.

"Lois McCullough raised her hands to defend herself.

"The defendant said she thought it was going to be too messy so she went to the kitchen to get a large knife.

"She said she apologised to her mother after she did so."

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

John McCullough had a series of health issues that required medication which he would pick up from his registered GP practice, the court is told.

However, when a large chunk of time passed without him collecting his prescription, his surgery contacted Essex Police.

A missing persons investigation was then started. This later became a murder inquiry.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

The prosecution says Virginia McCullough went to see her doctor on the day she murdered her mother - the day after she fatally poisoned her father.

She told the GP she had a cut that would not stop bleeding, and the injury was sustained from chopping vegetables.

However, this cut was instead from the stabbing, the prosecution says.

McCullough then went into Chelmsford city centre and bought plastic gloves and sleeping bags with her father's bank card.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

The prosecution has now arrived at the events of the night of 17 June 2019.

"She gave her father a cocktail of her prescription drugs crushed into alcoholic drinks that she gave him," the court is told.

"She left him to die in his bedroom at the house and went to bed. She sedated her mother with a less strong cocktail."

The court hears McCullough then fatally attacked her mother the morning after.

She was in bed listening to the radio when McCullough struck her with a hammer and stabbed her eight times, the court is told.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Virgina McCullough was the youngest of five children born to John and Lois McCullough, the prosecution says.

We have heard how the children were brought up on strong discipline from their parents, including "being smacked".

Notably, the prosecution says, Virginia McCullough was not smacked.

The court has also been told how her siblings see her as "socially awkward and a compulsive liar".

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

The prosecution has began opening the facts of the case.

John McCullough was poisoned with a "fatal combination" of prescription drugs that were crushed and put into alcoholic drinks that he was drinking by Virginia McCullough.

"The following day, she beat her mother with a hammer and stabbed her multiple times with a knife bought for that purpose," the prosecutor says.

"The defendant then made a makeshift tomb for her father in the ground floor of the home, which had been his bedroom and study."

Lois McCullough's body was wrapped in a sleeping bag and hidden in an upstairs wardrobe, the court is told.

"This was the culmination of thoughts and planning which began in March 2019," the prosecutor adds.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

If you’re not familiar with the court system, here’s what’s likely to happen today.

I’m in court along with other journalists from broadcasters and national newspapers. We will first all listen to the prosecution outline the facts of the case.

The mandatory sentence for murder is life imprisonment, but the judge will have to set a minimum term she must serve before she can be considered for release on parole.

In some cases, the judge can hand down a "whole life tariff" - a case of "life meaning life" with no chance of parole.

The prosecution team will set out aggravating factors as to why Virginia McCullough should get a higher minimum sentence.

In this part of the hearing we might hear an impact statement read on behalf of the victims' other family members.

Then McCullough's defence barrister, Christine Agnew KC, will present mitigation on behalf of her client, setting out reasons as to why McCullough should get a lower sentence.

Once that is all done the judge – Mr Justice Adam Johnson - will weigh up both arguments on what sentence he will pass.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

McCullough is watching on as Mr Justice Johnson deals with a few legal points ahead of the prosecution's opening statements.

The 36-year-old is sitting down and is flanked by two security guards inside the large glass-panelled dock.

She appears expressionless as she listens to what is being said.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

The courtroom in Chelmsford is packed - filled largely by reporters and members of the public.

Virginia McCullough has been brought up from the cells, wearing a purple jumper.

She has been asked to stand and confirm her name.