A 71-year-old man from Clacton has pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife.
John Chapman, of Vista Road, was arrested on suspicion of murder after police found the body of his wife, Jean, at a property believed to be apartment block Ashley Lodge, in the same road, on June 12.
Officers were called around 6.10am and discovered Mrs Chapman, 81, in a bedroom.
Paramedics from the East of England Ambulance Service also attended and confirmed her death.
A post mortem examination later revealed she had died from severe head injuries.
Chapman was arrested at the scene and charged the following day.
Following the initial news, a resident in the area said: “As residents it’s quite shocking, especially the woman being that age. It’s going to make people down here feel very uncomfortable.
“We have the odd incident with the leisure centre and tend to get a few youngsters hanging around, but it’s a pretty quiet area. I’ve been here 17 years and I’ve never known anything like this before.”
Chapman appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court earlier today, where he pleaded guilty to the murder.
He is due to be sentenced on September 8.
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