A MURDERER who stabbed his sister 16 times before covering her with a tarpaulin has been handed a life sentence today.

Kevin Shepherd appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Monday after he admitted stabbing Sharon Butler, 64, in the evening of Tuesday, November 7 of last year.

The court heard the two had argued at their home in Whitehouse Meadows after Mrs Butler came home from work and Shepherd “started on at her about money and said the bathroom needed doing”.

Mrs Butler is then said to have replied "go and get a job then" and the argument, according to the pair’s mother, "snowballed".

Echo: Sentencing - Kevin Shepherd appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Monday after he admitted murdering his sisterSentencing - Kevin Shepherd appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Monday after he admitted murdering his sister (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

The two continued their confrontation outside before Shepherd returned to the address to collect a knife from a kitchen drawer.

Their mother, who is in her 80s, remained inside as the situation escalated and asked Shepherd when he re-entered the bungalow whether he had hurt Mrs Butler.

The court heard how Shepherd replied by saying he had killed her.

Shepherd phoned 999 at 9.02pm and the police arrived nine minutes later to find a tarpaulin covering Mrs Butler's body in the front garden.

A police officer later said in a witness statement that he could see a yellow washing up glove stained with blood sticking out from underneath the covering.

He said: “She was wearing one of the gloves at that point; her mouth was pooling with blood and her clothing was covered in blood.”

The knife used to murder Mrs Butler, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was found stabbed into a plant pot and Shepherd was then arrested.

He told police: “Yeah, I didn’t know what to do - I was trying to self-defence [sic].

“She just attacked me, there was nothing I could do.”

Echo: Tragic - Sharon Butler was stabbed 16 times by her brother Tragic - Sharon Butler was stabbed 16 times by her brother (Image: Essex Police)

Whilst Shepherd was taken to a police station for a booking procedure, he asked an officer, “Can I say she ran towards me?”

Her Honour Judge Leigh dismissed Shepherd’s argument that Mrs Butler was the aggressor.

A post-mortem conducted by Virginia Fitzpatrick-Swallow found 16 non-sharp injuries and 16 stab wounds.

Shepherd, 55, of Whitehouse Meadows, wept in the dock as he was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 13 years and 361 days in jail before he is eligible for parole.