by Keith Hunt

An ex-police officer who killed his estranged wife at her hairdressing salon has formally admitted manslaughter.

Ivan Esack (pictured left) denies murder, claiming his responsibility was diminished because he was suffering from a recognised mental condition.

After the 38-year-old former detective entered his guilty plea to the lesser charge Judge Charles Byers told the jury of eight men and four women: “That means the only issue for you to decide is whether, in fact, this is a murder case or whether it is a manslaughter case.”

Oliver Saxby, defending, said Esack would not be giving evidence and the judge issued a warning that jurors could, if they thought it proper, draw an adverse inference as a result.

CCTV footage has been shown at Maidstone Crown Court of Esack’s movements before he stabbed his wife Natalie at the salon in Ashford High Street on the morning of April 30 last year.

Esack could be seen entering Sainsburys supermarket in the town and selecting a knife and some chicken before paying at the self-service tills.

Cameras recorded Esack leaving at 9.25am. He then drove to an NCP car park at County Square, left his car and walked into Tufton Street.

He turned into Church Path by the churchyard and passed by the rear of Esack Hair and Beauty and entered at the front.

There was no footage of what happened inside but moments later at 9.36am hairdresser Chelsea Ford, 17, could be heard in a distressed state as she ran from the salon into a shop next door.

Cameras then pick up Esack retracing his steps back to the car park and driving out to go home to Rosewood Drive, where he was arrested soon afterwards.

Jealous of Natalie’s new relationship, he is alleged to have launched the attack after making a series of threats to kill her.

Miss Ford was the only other person in the salon as Esack plunged the blade into Natalie, 33, up to 11 times as she tried to escape into the basement.

The teenager was to tell police how Esack calmly walked out of the salon declaring: “She deserved it, the bitch.”

She said she had heard him tell Natalie on a previous occasion she was “a dead woman walking”, adding: “Tick tock, tick tock.”

The trial is continuing with psychiatric evidence.