Partner of ex actress pleads guilty to her murder

The partner of former EastEnders actress Sian Blake has pleaded guilty to murdering her and their two children.

The bodies of Blake, 43 and her and Simpson-Kent’s two children Zachary, eight, and Amon, four, were found at the family home in Kent, England in January (16) after being reported missing in December a year ago (15). Simpson-Kent was extradited back to the United Kingdom and arrested on his arrival.

Ms Blake starred in 56 episodes of Eastenders as the singer Frankie Pierre and also appeared in The Bill, Casualty and Doctors before becoming a sign language teacher.

Ms Blake and her sons Zachary and Amon died from neck and head injuries, a post-mortem examination found.

Her mother and sister were in court for today’s hearing.

Ms Blake’s sister Ava has said Ms Blake had been wanting to end her relationship with Simpson-Kent but that she “hadn’t quite made that break or that decision to leave Arthur”.

At an earlier hearing, Mr Justice Singh was told Simpson-Kent admitted to the killings, though he did not enter a plea until Friday’s hearing.

She was last seen alive on 13 December 2015, and three days later the NSPCC passed on concerns about the welfare of the children.

But detectives believe it was sent by Simpson-Kent and that he had already murdered his family. However, officers who went to speak to Simpson-Kent at the house in Pembroke Road, Erith, left without making further enquiries.

Following the murders the Met Police referred themselves to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) after facing questions about why it took three weeks for a homicide unit to be called in. Det Ch Insp Graeme Gwyn said: “Arthur Simpson-Kent has never given a reason as to why he killed Sian, Zachary and Amon in the way that he did”.

October 4 – Simpson-Kent’s three-day sentencing is expected to begin.