What did Marcus Osborne do? Double murderer claimed "Romeo and Juliet can die together" and mutilated one of the victims

Marcus Osborne has been sentenced to a whole life order following a two-day trial for the murder of his ex-partner, Katie Higton, and her new partner, Steven Harnett. The trial concluded on March 1 at Leeds Crown Court, where presiding Justice Lambert stated that the killings were driven by "pathological jealousy," as reported by Sky News.

Disclaimer: The following article talks about brutal stabbings, murder, domestic violence, and rape. Readers' discretion is advised.

According to The Mirror, the murders, which occurred on May 15, 2023, involved Marcus Osborne attacking Katie Higton in her home on Harpe Inge, Dalton, where he mercilessly stabbed her 99 times. He then lured Harnett, aged 25, to the house under false pretense and stabbed him 24 times, leaving him with mutilated genitals.

After the killings, he turned to another victim, whom he assaulted and held at knifepoint in the home, reportedly telling her:

"Romeo and Juliet can die together now."

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Marcus Osborne murdered his ex-partner and her new boyfriend in May 2023

According to ITV, Marcus Osborne's ex-partner, Katie Higton, ended their five-year relationship just days before her brutal murder. On April 28, 2023, Osborne viciously assaulted Higton, aged 27, in an attack that ended with her ears bleeding and "significant bruising to legs, arms, back, and ribs."

On May 10, Higton made a report to the police on grounds of domestic violence, which resulted in Osborne's arrest on May 12. However, he was released on bail with conditions not to go back to Higton's home in Harpe Inge, which he previously shared with her.

Snapchat conversations shared between the pair revealed Osborne threatening her, saying:

"If I find out you're seeing someone, I'll end you fully."

As per ITV, Marcus Osborne, aged 35, found out about Higton's budding relationship with Harnett by hacking into her Snapchat messages. On May 14, Osborne was spotted lurking in the vicinity of Higton's home, where he returned again just after midnight. Taking the home hostage, Osborne forced a woman inside to call Higton and lure her there.

In the early hours of May 15, Osborne stabbed Higton 99 times, saying, "This is your fault this is happening." Then, using Higton's phone, he lured in Harnett, whom he stabbed 24 times as soon as he entered the home. During the trial, the court heard that there were four children in the house at the time of the murder.

According to Sky News, Marcus Osborne had prior convictions of violence against two previous partners in 2011 and 2012.

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Judge imposes whole life order on Marcus Osborne for double murders

As per Sky News, Justice Lambert claimed there were no "mitigating factors" for the double stabbing, calling the crime "horrific." She added:

"This is a case of such exceptional seriousness that even a very long minimum term would not be a just punishment. What you did that night was horrific. Everything you did was motivated by sex and your need to sexually humiliate and degrade."

As he was led away after his conviction, a family member could be heard yelling, "I hope you rot in hell" at him. As per ITV, Katie Higton's mother spoke in court, calling Marcus Osborne "a monster of the worst kind" and saying she had "never known anything so vile." Her father, Robert Higton, shared a written statement that read:

"I couldn't have asked for more when she was born. She has been so cruelly ripped away from me. I'll forever be expecting a call or text message from Katie, but I know it'll never come. The way Katie was taken from me gives me nightmares. Her death has turned my world into a horror story."

Along with his whole life order, Marcus Osborne also received a 10-year concurrent sentence for the rape and false imprisonment of the other individuals in the house.