This week in the crown courts we've had a number cases from an on going murder trial to a violent Christmas Day attack.

Here's our round up of the cases heard in Essex crown courts.

A NEIGHBOUR gave a homeless person a weapon to protect himself from youths before a father was murdered, a court heard.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard how the resident handed the broom handle to the homeless man to look after himself before James Gibbons, 34, died after being stabbed near his home in Iris Mews, Laindon on May 2.

A 16-year-old boy is standing trial accused of murdering him by stabbing him four times in the abdomen.

The witness told the court a group of youths were bullying the homeless man.

He said: “I gave him the broom handle so he could protest himself. I didn’t get it back and I didn’t know if the man had been in trouble with police before.

“I didn’t tell police about the broom handle as I thought I would get in trouble for it. Mr Gibbons said the kids had been bullying the homeless man all day."

A FATHER attacked his expartner in front of their children on Christmas Day after breaking into her home.

Timothy Frost, 36, of North Avenue, Southend forced entry into the woman’s house while she was making Christmas dinner and repeatedly kicked her.

Basildon Crown Court heard he was harassing the mother after the relationship broke down.

He was handed a community order at the court during the hearing.

Prosecuting Neil King said: “There was harassment relating to his ex-partner he had children with and the most serious offences were over Christmas.

“On Christmas Eve one of the children saw the defendant outside the home and he had keyed her car. Then on Christmas Day while she was cooking Christmas dinner he called her 47 times and he then banged on the door and forced his way in.

“Then he assaulted her and kicked her to the floor and she suffered injuries and bruising in front of the children.

“On December 27 he was back banging on the door ordering her to open it and swearing at her and he damaged the door and leave buckled so it could not be shut.”

He was ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid work, a better building relationships course and rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was also handed a restraining order to not contact the victim, told to pay costs of £1,200 and £1,000 in compensation to the woman.