The trial of a mum accused of killing the man she called "dad" took a dramatic turn today when she admitted his murder.

After a four-week hearing, Kayleigh Halliday changed her plea to guilty at the end of the prosecution case.

The 36-year-old, from Sittingbourne, was re-arraigned and she admitted murder as the jury at Maidstone Crown Court then had to formally return a guilty verdict.

Judge Philip Statman told them that Halliday's plea should not influence their judgement against her co-accused Shane Myles, from Gillingham, who has denied murder.

The jury had heard claims that she had been dancing at the home of kindly Paul Wakefield, 66, who had allowed her to stay at his flat in Coolinge Lane, Folkestone.

On January 3, she knocked over a TV and then smashed a vodka bottle over his head before plunging a glass shard into his chest and then stamped on his head, the jury heard.

For the past month, jurors heard how her lover Myles claims he watched on as Halliday launched her attack.

He told police: "Punches first and then (she) smashed the bottle and then used the bottle end and poked him in the stomach with it.

"Paul had fallen onto his side."

Myles, 31, told officers he then stepped over Mr Wakefield as Halliday was rummaging in the kitchen.

He claimed Halliday then stamped on Mr Wakefield's head numerous times.

The court heard police asked: "Did you see her make contact with his head?"

Myles replied: "I did, yes.."

The detective then asked: "Do you know how many times that happened?"

Myles answered: "Could be more than four times. I was just shocked. It’s like it wasn’t as bad, it didn’t seem bad. It didn’t seem, where I was drunk it didn’t seem, like, really serious, what was, what she was doing."

He said after the attack he panicked and ran away and picked up Mr Wakefield's credit card.

The court earlier heard how Halliday and Myles then considered running away to Blackpool together moments after the incident.

Witnesses reportedly saw the pair at Folkestone West railway station holding hands, caressing, laughing and walking with their arms around each other.

Myles – the father of Halliday's two children – of Rock Avenue, Gillingham and Halliday, of Crown Road, Sittingbourne had both admitted manslaughter.

Halliday was remanded in custody pending sentence and the murder trial of Myles, who has just recovered from Covid, is expected to return to court next week.