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Man admits murder of Karen Catherall at Gwernaffield Man admits murder of Karen Catherall at Gwernaffield
(about 1 hour later)
A 47-year-old man has pleaded guilty to the murder of a Flintshire woman who was found strangled and with head injuries. A 47-year-old man faces a life sentence after pleading guilty to the murder of a Flintshire woman he met on a dating website a few months earlier.
The body of Karen Catherall, 45, was discovered at High Park, Gwernaffield, near Mold, in September. Mother of two Karen Catherall, 45, was found strangled and with head injuries at her home at Gwernaffield, near Mold.
Darren Jeffreys from Mold admitted the charge during a hearing at Mold Crown Court. Darren Jeffreys from Mold admitted the murder on 13 September during a hearing at Mold Crown Court.
A family tribute issued after her death described her as a "loving mother, daughter, sister, aunty and friend".A family tribute issued after her death described her as a "loving mother, daughter, sister, aunty and friend".
An initial inquest hearing in September heard that her death was caused by a "blunt force head injury" and "mechanical asphyxia". Jeffreys was due to attend a plea and directions hearing at the court on Friday where it was widely expected that he would deny the offence as trial date had already been fixed for February 24.
Jeffreys is due to be sentenced in February. But that date will now be his sentencing hearing after he entered the dock and admitted murdering Ms Catherall.
The proceedings started off with the defendant entering seven not guilty pleas to charges of assaulting four ex-partners between 1994 and last year.
They were allowed to remain on the file.
The murder charge was the last allegation put to him and there were audible gasps from the public gallery when he pleaded guilty.
The court was told that the couple met via the Plenty of Fish dating website and started a relationship a few months before her death.
The day before her body was found the couple had been seen drinking in Mold.
Her body was found at her home following an early morning emergency call from the defendant.
He claimed that he believed that she had been sleeping but that he was unable to wake her up.
But paramedics found that she had been dead for some time.
A post mortem examination was carried out and the cause of death was found to be blunt force trauma to the head and "mechanical asphyxiation".
Mr Justice Wyn Williams, who conducted the hearing via a live television link, told Jeffreys: "You will appreciate that I must impose upon you a life sentence."