A man murdered a beloved father-of-two before drunkenly returning to the scene where he bragged to police that he knew what had happened.
Marek Hecko, 26, was on Tuesday sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Adrian Ellingford in Essex.
Mr Ellingford, 44, died on July 25 after being stabbed multiple times in a “senseless attack” at a property in Chelmsford, prompting police to launch a murder probe.
Video taken on an officer’s bodyworn camera captures the moment “heavily intoxicated” Hecko, approached the crime scene in Nelson Grove, swigging from a bottle of brandy.
“I know what happened,” he boasted to police at the scene, before becoming confrontational.
“I know the people...involved,” he said. “I just know that some guy came here and he ****** up some guy.”
Refusing to provide his name, he added: “If you don’t have me, you don’t know what happened. You’re going to think about me, but it’s not going to be me, because you have no proof. This city is mine.”
Hecko was arrested and taken into custody, where police identified him as the main suspect and charged him with murder.
During a month-long trial, which started at Chelmsford Crown Court on February 13, Hecko claimed he had turned up at the crime scene after seeing what had happened on the news, despite the news being nowhere online or on social media at that point.
The court heard how on the night of his death, Mr Ellingford had been with an ex-partner of Hecko’s - a woman Hecko had exhibited stalking behaviour towards.
During Monday’s proceedings, Mr Ellingford’s wife of 17 years, Laura, described the victim as an “amazing husband, loving son, a caring brother, a friend to many and most importantly a truly brilliant father”.
On Monday, Hecko, of Rookes Crescent in Chelmsford, was found guilty of murder by a unanimous jury.
At Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday, he was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 26 years.
Detective Chief Inspector Louise Metcalfe said: “From the moment this was declared a murder investigation, our team worked tirelessly to gather CCTV, statements and compile the evidence needed to charge Hecko.
“Despite the huge amount of work going on behind the scenes, we made supporting Adrian’s family a priority, and our family liaison officers have done an incredible job from the start.
“This was a senseless attack on Adrian, which has left two children without a father.
“I hope that they can move forward and find some closure now that Hecko is behind bars.”
Following Hecko’s conviction on Monday, Mr Ellingford’s widow spoke of the devastating impact his death has had upon her family.
“He was brutally ripped from our lives in events that I still can’t really comprehend myself or begin to explain to our boys,” she said.
“He was a good man, always willing to help friends and neighbours out if they were in a pickle. He was hard-working and caring, and nothing was too much trouble. He even volunteered at the boys’ scout group on a regular basis.
“In all of this it’s the impact on those two innocent boys that is the most heartbreaking thing.
“Having to tell them both that their beloved dad was never coming home was the most painful and heartbreaking thing that I have ever had to do. They are 12 and 10 years old and not really old enough to truly appreciate what they’ve lost.
“They will not have Adrian with them through the milestones in their lives. He will never be able to teach them to drive, buy them their first drink or to celebrate their academic achievements. He will never see them grow up into young men who will have partners and families of their own. No one will ever be able to replace their dad.
“Adrian you will always be missed by us as your family and you will always hold a special place in our hearts. We miss you every day and love you forever.”
