Caerphilly woman admits Elliots Town murder of mum's friend

Rebecca Press (right) was on trial for murder at Cardiff Crown Court but changed her plea midway through her trial

A woman has admitted murder midway through her trial for stabbing her mother's best friend to death.

Rebecca Press, 31, from Trecenydd, Caerphilly county, stabbed 57-year-old Marc Ash after a day of drinking and drug taking in July last year.

Press previously denied murder and the court case was ongoing, but she has now changed her plea to guilty.

She will be sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday morning.

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During the trial Press' mother, 53-year-old Michelle Press, described comforting Mr Ash as she called 999 after he had been stabbed by her daughter.

She told the court that Mr Ash had been her neighbour in Elliots Town, Newport, for three years and said they were "like two peas in a pod".

On the day of the murder, her daughter had come to spend the weekend with her after splitting up with her boyfriend.

Police were called to Elliots Town, New Tredegar, in the early hours of the morning in July 2022

The court heard that Press and Mr Ash went to the pub and the local rugby club, but Mr Ash returned early after telling Ms Press over the phone "she's playing up, I can't cope with her".

After Press returned to the flat the court heard she was shouting, screaming and upset that her brother Gavin, a friend of her ex-boyfriend, was also at the flat.

Ms Press said her daughter became more agitated, and accused her mother of spitting in her face, adding: "She gripped my arm, I saw teeth, I thought she was going to bite me."

While Ms Press left the room to call the police Mr Ash attempted to calm her daughter down, but moments later he lay dying on the kitchen floor.

The court heard a 7.5cm (3in) blade was plunged into Mr Ash's chest, and the rapid blood loss led to cardiac arrest.

In a video interview played to the jury, Ms Press described how her daughter had told her: "I just stabbed your best friend to death."

The court was told she later left a voicemail message for her ex-boyfriend Ashley Allen telling him: "I've just murdered someone, please phone me now."