Double Murderer’s Appeal for Reduced Whole Life Sentence Rejected

Marcus Osborne, a man convicted of murdering his former partner and her new boyfriend due to “sexual jealousy,” has had his appeal to lessen his prison sentence rejected. Osborne had previously been informed that he would serve a whole life order for fatally stabbing Katie Higton and Steven Harnett at her residence in Huddersfield in May 2023. During his sentencing, it was revealed that Ms. Higton, aged 27, suffered 99 injuries during the assault, while Mr. Harnett, aged 25, was mutilated and sustained 24 knife wounds. Osborne’s legal representatives argued before the Court of Appeal that his uncommon whole life order was “not necessary,” but a panel of three senior judges rejected the appeal attempt. Osborne participated in the hearing remotely via a video link from HMP Wakefield. His barrister, John Elvidge KC, stated to the court: “We invite this court to consider looking at the case overall, particularly having regard to his guilty plea.” He added, “This is a case where the last resort option was not necessary and he could have been given a very long minimum term.” However, Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr informed the hearing: “The facts of these two murders, together with their associated offences and taking into account relevant aggravating factors, are so horrific, that whole life terms were appropriate, despite the applicant’s guilty pleas.” She further elaborated, “These were two planned and brutal murders motivated by sexual jealousy and involving sexual conduct, committed in circumstances designed to maximise the depravity.” During his sentencing in March, it was disclosed that Ms. Higton had been in a five-year relationship with Osborne but ended it following an assault by him. Days prior to her murder, she had informed West Yorkshire Police of her fear that Osborne would “seriously hurt or kill” her, and that he had threatened to kill both her and any new partner if she began a fresh relationship. The court was informed that Osborne, who was 35 at the time of his sentencing, accessed Ms. Higton’s Snapchat account and learned she had a new partner. On May 15, 2023, he forcibly entered the house in Dalton, armed with a knife, and awaited Ms. Higton’s return from a cinema outing with Mr. Harnett. The court had previously heard that she was attacked immediately upon entering the residence. Additionally, Osborne raped another woman whom he had held captive within the house. On Wednesday, during the hearing, Baroness Carr, presiding alongside Lord Justice Jeremy Baker and Mr. Justice Bennathan, stated that the initial sentencing determination “cannot be impugned.”