Terrifying moment smiling murderer tells police 'I know what happened' as he returns to crime scene
15 March 2023, 11:01
Smiling killer returns to the scene of the crime in Chelmsford
A drunk killer returned to the crime scene where he murdered a "brilliant" dad-of-two in Chelmsford, Essex, offering to help police.
Marek Hecko, 26, arrived at an address in Chelmsford, telling police he could "help" after "seeing what had happened on the news" - despite it not being reported yet.
Police had been on guard at the scene after Adrian Ellingford, 44, was seriously assaulted. Hecko was eventually arrested and identified as the main suspect before being charged with murder.
Video footage captured by on-scene officers show a smiling Hecko returning to the crime scene with a bottle of brandy. He repeatedly tells officers he knows what had happened and that he could help.
After becoming confrontational, he was arrested and whilst in custody, he was identified as the main suspect.
Following hundreds of lines of enquiry being pursued by specialist detectives, Hecko was charged within a few days with murder and remanded into custody.
Read More: Three arrests and one charge after drive-by shooting near church in Euston
Read More: Female 'Basil Fawlty' disbarred after attacking guests at her seaside hotel
During the trial, which started on February 13 at Chelmsford Crown Court, Hecko tried to claim that he turned up after seeing what had happened on the news, despite the news being nowhere online and on social media at this point.
The court heard how Adrian Ellingford was with a former partner of Hecko’s on the night of his death and that Hecko had been stalking her.
Adrian's wife read out a victim statement in court, in which she described him as an "amazing husband, loving son, a caring brother, a friend to many and most importantly a truly brilliant father".
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."
