Huddersfield, England – A tragic incident unfolded in Huddersfield as a court heard about a horrific act of violence driven by “sexual jealousy.” Marcus Osborne, 35, committed a brutal attack on Katie Higton and Steve Harnett on May 15, 2023, resulting in their deaths. Osborne admitted to two counts of murder, false imprisonment, and rape.
During a two-day sentencing hearing at Leeds Crown Court, prosecutors described how Osborne, armed with a knife, forcibly entered a house at Harpe Inge in Dalton, shared with Katie Higton. Upon Higton’s return from a cinema outing with Harnett, Osborne attacked her as she walked in, inflicting 99 injuries on the 27-year-old victim.
The court learned that Osborne then used Higton’s phone to lure Harnett to the property, where he also brutally murdered him with 24 knife wounds, displaying “sadistic conduct.” Another woman in the house witnessed these horrific events, as Osborne proceeded to move the bodies and remain in the house for hours before raping her at knifepoint.
Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC described the double murder as a premeditated act driven by sexual jealousy, control, and an inability to accept Higton’s decision to end her relationship with Osborne and move on. The court heard that Higton had been in a coercive and abusive relationship with Osborne for five years before leaving him in early May 2023.
Additional information provided at the hearing revealed that Higton had reported Osborne to the Huddersfield police station on May 10, citing threats of violence. Despite being arrested on May 12 for domestic violence offences and bailed with strict conditions, Osborne continued to spy on Higton until the night of the murders.
Family members of the victims, including Harnett’s relatives, visibly distraught in the gallery, listened as details of the heinous crimes were discussed. Osborne remained stoic throughout the proceedings, with the prosecution planning to push for a whole-life order due to the severity of the crimes.
As the court contemplates the appropriate sentence for Osborne, family members of the victims continue to grapple with the devastating loss caused by his actions. The harrowing events have left a community shocked and mourning the senseless loss of two innocent lives.