A man has been found to have stabbed his partner 173 times.

Jake Neate, 37, was accused of murdering Suzanne Brown, 33, at her home in Mountbatten Court, Braintree, in December 2017.

A trial of facts began at Chelmsford Crown Court earlier this week after Neate, who is residing in a psychiatric hospital, was found to be unfit to plea or stand trial.

In his absence on Wednesday afternoon, the jury found him to have “done the act” he was accused of.

The case will next be heard at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday.

During the three-day trial, the court heard how officers were called to a home in Braintree shortly before 12.20am after being contacted with concerns for the welfare of the occupants.

Sergeant Richard Ambrose and PC Daniel Parish described Neate as “calm” when he opened the door to them.

Sgt Ambrose detained Neate as PC Parish entered a room to find Ms Brown on the floor.

He told the court: “I have never seen anything like it.

“When we got to the front door of the property, a voice behind the front door told us: ‘I hate to say, I have killed someone’. When he opened the door his right hand was covered in blood.

“Neate seemed quite calm, he was not raising his voice, he spoke quite evenly.”

Calls were made to paramedics and officers who rushed with a defibrillator to the scene.

Despite the best efforts of the team, Ms Brown was pronounced dead at 1.09am Sgt Ambrose and PC Philip Balcombe later travelled with Neate to Broomfield Hospital where he received treatment for minor injuries.

During this time, PC Ambrose recalled Neate saying: “It was brutal what I did to her, her family are going to kill me.’ Allan Compton, prosecuting, showed body-cam footage taken inside the hospital by PC Balcombe five hours after the incident.

Neate was not visible in the short clip played to the court, however he was heard saying: “If this gets in the papers, can you make sure they say I’m sorry.”

When the case returns on Friday, Neate will be served with either a hospital order, a supervision order or an absolute discharge.

In a trial of facts, there can be no verdict of guilty and the court cannot pass sentence as the defendant is unable to put forward a defence.