By Grainne Cuffe

An alleged drug dealer today admitted stabbing to death a 39-year-old man whose body was found near a bridge.

Billy Dole, 28, pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to the murder of Peter Beale whose body was found last September near Rochester Bridge.

Dole, of Chorister Close, Hoo, and 22-year-old Levi Webb, of Station Road, Northfleet, had denied the murder of Mr Beale when they previously appeared before the court last October.

But Dole switched his plea to guilty at the same court today. He will be sentenced after Webb's trial.

Madeleine Woolf, prosecuting, told the court two women have also been charged in connection with Mr Beale's murder and will stand trial at a later date.

She said: “Two women have been charged with assisting an offender.

"We originally wanted them to be tried at the same time, but we didn’t have enough time.”

The women will next appear at Maidstone Crown Court to enter a plea on March 12.

Ms Woolf also applied to have two charges of supplying Class A drugs added to the indictment for both Dole and Webb.

Police at the scene last September

Judge Philip Statman said: “This applies to both defendants, count two being concerned in the supply of heroin and count three being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine.”

This was accepted by both defendants’ lawyers.

Judge Statman added: “Mr Webb will be back for trial and Mr Dole will remain in custody and he will be dealt with at the conclusion of Mr Webb’s trial.”

Relatives of the victim and the defendants were in court for the hearing.

One woman cried when Dole pleaded guilty to murder.