Man jailed for over 13 years for the murder of his sister in Leigh-on-Sea

Sharon Butler died in November last year

Sharon Butler
Author: Ellie CloutePublished 13th May 2024

A man has been sentenced to 13 years and 6 months in prison for the murder of his sister in Leigh-on-Sea.

55-year-old Kevin Shepherd was today sentenced at Basildon Crown Court, following the death of 64-year-old Sharon Butler in November last year.

Last year, Kevin Shepherd called Essex Police’s Force Control Room shortly after 9pm on Tuesday 7th November, claiming he had fought with his sister and she was unconscious.

When officers arrived at his Whitehouse Meadows home, they found Sharon Butler, seriously injured in the garden, covered with a tarpaulin.

Officers found a knife in the front garden, stabbed into a plant pot.

Kevin Shepherd

Despite the best efforts of paramedics, Sharon Butler was declared dead at the scene and Kevin Shepherd, of Whitehouse Meadows, Leigh-on-Sea, was immediately arrested.

He pleaded guilty to Sharon's death, ahead of a trial on Tuesday 7th May.

At the time of Sharon’s death, her family expressed their deep shock and paid tribute to her saying: “Our world has been shattered by the loss of our loving daughter and sister. Our lives will never be the same without her. She never will be forgotten and will be forever in our hearts.”

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