In Essex v. Virginia, 442 S.E.2d 707 (Va. Ct. App. 1994), the Court of Appeals of Virginia held that the trial court did not err in permitting the jury to hear evidence that Essex had been convicted of murder. See Essex, 442 S.E.2d 707 at 710. "Where a necessary element of the Commonwealth's case is that the accused is a convicted felon, evidence which tends to directly prove that fact cannot be excluded on the ground that its proof is prejudicial to the accused." Id.