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Michael Doherty Pleads Guilty to Murder of Courtney Angus on First Day of Trial

A judge said he faces a mandatory life term with the minimum period to be set at a later hearing.

Overview

  • Doherty, 38, admitted murdering 21-year-old Courtney Angus at his Batley home on 25 July 2025, where her body was later found on Norfolk Street.
  • The following day he stole from shops in Dewsbury and threatened staff with a knife before arrest, during which he told officers he had killed someone.
  • Prosecutors said CCTV, witness accounts and mobile phone cell-site data placed both at the address and indicated he had expressed romantic interest and threatened self-harm when she did not reciprocate.
  • He also pleaded guilty to theft and three counts of threatening a person with a blade, while denying possession of a bladed article and affray.
  • West Yorkshire Police said his claims of killing multiple people were inaccurate, and officers seized a knife during the investigation.