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Arthur Simpson-Kent admits murdering Sian Blake and their two sons Arthur Simpson-Kent admits murdering Sian Blake and their two sons
(about 4 hours later)
The partner of the former EastEnders actor Sian Blake has admitted murdering her and their two children. The partner of the former EastEnders actor Sian Blake haspleaded guilty to murdering her and their two children.
Blake, 43, Zachary Kent-Blake, eight, and Amon Kent-Blake, four, vanished on 13 December and their bodies were found buried in the garden of the family home in Erith, Kent, on 5 January. Appearing at the Old Bailey via videolink, Arthur Simpson-Kent, 49, admitted killing 43-year-old Blake, Zachary Kent-Blake, eight, and Amon Kent-Blake, four.
His three victims disappeared on 13 December and their bodies were found buried in the garden of the family home in Erith, Kent, on 5 January. By that time Simpson-Kent had fled to Ghana after being visited by police. After agreeing to his extradition, he was arrested in February at Heathrow airport.
On Friday, Arthur Simpson-Kent, 49, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to their murder. He was arrested in February at Heathrow after agreeing to his extradition from Ghana. As she left the courtroom on Friday, Blake’s sister said she was “pleased and relieved” at the guilty plea.
He appeared before Mr Justice Singh at the Old Bailey to enter his pleas. Wearing a red T-shirt and black trousers, he appeared via video link from Belmarsh jail. DCI Graeme Gwyn, from the Metropolitan police’s homicide and major crime command, said: “Arthur Simpson-Kent has never given a reason as to why he killed Sian, Zachary and Amon in the way that he did.
He was remanded in custody ahead of a three-day sentencing from 4 October. “Sian’s close-knit family are devastated by the loss of their much loved sister, daughter and cousin. The deaths of Zachary and Amon have compounded their grief and they have lost two entire generations of their family to a violent and completely senseless act of murder at the hands of Simpson-Kent.”
Blake played Frankie Pierre in 56 episodes of EastEnders between 1996 and 1997. She was suffering from motor neurone disease before she died. Her mother and sister attended court to see Simpson-Kent admit his crimes. Blake and her children were last seen when they visited her family in Leyton. The last time she was known to be alive was on the afternoon of 14 December, when she phoned an acquaintance.
Outside, her sister Ava smiled and said the family were “really relieved”. On 16 December, Blake’s sister received a text from her phone saying she and the children needed to get away for a while. Detectives believe the text was sent by Simpson-Kent who had already murdered his family and was attempting to cover his tracks.
The same day, after concerns were raised by a family member, officers from Bexley Borough police spoke to Simpson-Kent at the home address. He was initially uncooperative but then allowed officers into the address, where he told them that Blake and the children had gone to visit a friend in Cambridge.
On 3 January, due to concerns for the welfare of Blake and her children, detectives from the homicide and major crime command took over the missing persons’ investigation. Two days later a forensic search of the property led to the discovery of the bodies in the garden. Postmortem examinations found the cause of their deaths to be head and neck injuries.
A manhunt was launched to find Simpson-Kent, who it was established had left the family home shortly after officers had spoken to him.
He travelled from Glasgow airport, via Amsterdam, to Accra on 18 December, after spending the night with a friend in Camden and withdrawing £700 from Blake’s bank account. Detectives travelled to Ghana where they found him on 9 February.
Simpson-Kent showed no emotion as he admitted to the killings during the five-minute hearing. He was remanded in custody ahead of a three-day sentencing from 4 October.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating Scotland Yard’s response to warnings about the welfare of Blake and the children before they were murdered.
Blake played Frankie Pierre in 56 episodes of EastEnders between 1996 and 1997. She had motor neurone disease at the time of her death.