On 15th May 2023, Katie Higton and her partner Steve Harnett were viciously murdered in Katie’s home in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They were killed by Katie’s ex-partner Marcus Osborne.
This case is one of domestic violence, jealousy, and grief that many believe could have been prevented had more severe action been taken by authorities beforehand. This article takes a closer look at these heinous murders as well as Osborne himself to examine his motives.
Who is Marcus Osborne?
Marcus Osborne is a man from West Yorkshire who was in a relationship with 27-year-old mother of four Katie Higton for five years. During their relationship, Osborne became violent towards Katie. After Osborne assaulted Katie on 28th April 2023, she officially broke up with him in early May.
On 10th May – only days before she was killed – Katie reported Osborne at her local police station. She reported him for his violence but also noted his mental abuse, calling him coercive and controlling.
Katie also reported continuous threats that were growing increasingly violent, such as Osborne threatening to slit her throat. He also told her that if she was to get another boyfriend, he would kill them both.
Two days later, Osborne was arrested under suspicion of domestic violence. He was soon released on bail. While on bail, he stalked Katie continuously. Despite orders to try and stop Osborne from contacting Katie or going to her house, he was able to access her home.
This wasn’t the first time that Osborne’s domestic violence had been reported to the police. In 2011 and 2012, he received convictions for violent offences against two of his ex-partners.
The crimes
Katie was out on a cinema date with Steve on 15th May 2023, while her four children were at home. A woman – who has remained unnamed – was also at home with the children. Marcus Osborne forced his way into the house while carrying a large knife. Once there, he waited for Katie to return. When she did, he attacked Katie and inflicted 99 wounds. A number of these wounds were purposely aimed at Katie’s face in an attempt to disfigure her.
Once Osborne had murdered Katie, he used her phone to lure Steve to the house. When he arrived, Osborne attacked him too and left him with 24 knife wounds.
This was not the end of Osborne’s crime spree. After the murders, he held the other woman in the house captive at knifepoint for the night. During that time, he taunted her, behaved sadistically, and raped her. This was all done while Katie’s four children were sleeping upstairs.
The trial
Osborne’s trial took place at Leeds Crown Court. The extent of his crimes came to light during the trial, including his disturbing behaviour following the murders, such as his attempts to clean himself, the room, and their bodies.
Osborne stripped the bodies of their clothes and positioned them so they were side by side. He made various disturbing comments, referring to the couple as 'Romeo and Juliet' and saying that they 'can die together now'.
Osborne also seemed to have taken a sick pleasure in his crimes. He called over neighbours – including a 16-year-old girl – to let them see the bodies of Katie and Steven. He was clearly proud of what he had done.
The motives
The judge during the trial – Mrs Justice Lambert – stated that Osborne’s motives were entirely based on sex and jealousy. She noted that he had a desire to 'sexually humiliate and degrade'. During the trial, Osborne was also found to have hacked into Katie’s Snapchat and was monitoring her relationship with Steven, further suggesting his intense jealousy.
The verdict
Osborne pleaded guilty to the murder counts against him and other offences, including the rape and false imprisonment of the other woman. The judge noted that there were no mitigating factors. Because of this, he was sentenced to a whole life order. This is a rarity in the UK judicial system and is a sentence reserved for only the worst crimes.
The aftermath
The premeditated and twisted crimes of Marcus Osborne against Katie Higton and Steve Harnett were particularly severe. The whole life order verdict is indicative of just how vicious this crime was. Osborne will remain behind bars for the rest of his life, but the families of Katie and Steven also face a life sentence thanks to this horrifically heinous crime.
