Pleads guilty to murder

A 20-YEAR-OLD has appeared in court to admit murdering a man who was found in a car with a fatal stab wound in Shepshed.

Mark Law, of Sandringham Rise, Shepshed, appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, August 8, to plead guilty to murdering 45-year-old Timothy Smith on March 16.

Mr Smith, who was originally from Oxfordshire but had moved to Tamworth, was found in a silver Ford Focus on an industrial estate, in Shepshed, at 9pm on the day he died.

A post-mortem examination determined he was killed by a stab wound.

Law was originally due to face a murder trial with coaccused Mason Casey, 18.

Casey, of Ludlow Place, Shepshed, who denies the charge, is to have a trial by jury, on October 2.

The hearing is due to last six or seven days.

Judge Nicholas Dean QC told Law he would be sentenced after Casey’s trial.

He said Law was facing a mandatory life sentence.

Both defendants were remanded back into custody.

After Mr Smith’s death, his dad Derick paid tribute, saying: “Tim was a very kind, thoughtful and caring son and I cannot adequately express in words how deeply shocked and saddened I am to learn of his death.

“He was a thoroughly goodhearted person.

“He was kind and thoughtful and tried to do his best in every aspect of his life, whether that was how he applied himself to work or how he developed and maintained friendships.”