A man has appeared in court this morning and admitted carrying out a murder in Clacton town centre.


Darren Gilbert, 22, of Holland Road, Clacton, admitted killing 54-year-old James Gregoire in Clacton town centre on April 13.

Following the murder in Rosemary Road at 11.45pm, police locked down the centre of Clacton after an altercation spread across a number of streets, leaving officers with multiple scenes to examine.

A manhunt was also launched when Gilbert fled after stabbing Mr Gregoire. He was arrested at 11.40am the next morning.

Senior Investigating Officer, Det Insp Morgan Cronin said: "I am pleased that Darren Gilbert decided to plead guilty due to the weight of evidence there was against him.

"This prevented the family of James Gregoire having to go through the emotional strain of a trial. While the verdict cannot bring James back, I hope this brings them a form of closure to their tragic loss.

"Gilbert is a dangerous individual who faces a life sentence for his actions and the local community will be safer for his incarceration.

"I would also like thank the local community who assisted the police with our enquiries, particularly the local businesses who showed patience while forensic teams completed their investigations. Without their assistance a number of key pieces of evidence would not have been identified.”

Gilbert was remanded in custody at Chelmsford Crown Court today to be sentenced during the week commencing July 20.