A man has appeared in court this morning charged with the murder of Clacton woman Kathleen Griffin, 57.

East Anglian Daily Times: Kathy GriffinKathy Griffin (Image: Archant)

Scott Hilling, 25, was charged yesterday with her murder, with the alleged offence taking place between Thursday and Friday last week (December 17-18).

Hilling, of no fixed address, appeared before Colchester magistrates this morning for a preliminary hearing.

He was arrested by police late on Friday evening after Kathy’s body was discovered at an address in Old Road, Clacton, earlier that day.

A forensic post-mortem examination has given the preliminary cause of the woman’s death as multiple stab wounds.

East Anglian Daily Times: Police at the scene in Clacton.Police at the scene in Clacton. (Image: Sarah Lucy brown)

Hilling was not asked to enter a plea during today’s short hearing.

Magistrates remanded him in custody to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court for a preliminary hearing tomorrow.

Today Kathy’s son Dale McMullan has paid tribute to his mother.

He said: “Kathy will be dearly missed by all that knew and loved her.

“We have lost a loving mother, sister and grandma.

“There is now a space in our family that can never be filled.

“We, the family, would respectfully ask for time for us to grieve.”