26-year-old Marek Hecko was sentenced to life in prison this week for the murder of a married father-of-two in July 2022.
The victim was Adrian Ellingford, 44, who was in a romantic relationship with Hecko’s ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Breame. Hecko and Breame split in May, but prosecutors say (via BBC) he exhibited “stalker-like behavior” and “pined and obsessed” over her after the breakup. In court, they said he would show up to her work and home uninvited, called, sent messages and searched her name online.
The night of the murder, Breame woke up to Ellingford saying something about someone being in the house. He then got up and collapsed with two stab wounds in his back, as well as the detached knife blade, which broke off in the attack, still lodged inside him. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.
While the killer fled, Hecko was seen on newly-released police bodycam footage approaching officers outside the Breame’s home with what appeared to be a bottle of brandy in his hand. Essex Police said he was “heavily intoxicated” at the time.
He then began telling police, “I know what happened,” adding, “I know the people there involved.” Though he refused to give them his name, he then claimed, “You need me to figure out what happened … if you don’t have me, you don’t know what happened.”
“I just know that some guy come here and he f—ed up some guy,” he then said, adding, “You’re going to think about me, but it’s not gonna be me because there’s no proof.”
At this point, nothing about the crime had been released publicly, including the fact there was a male victim. “This city’s f—ing mine,” he said, before he was arrested “after becoming confrontational,” said Essex Police. It was only while he was in custody that he was identified as the main suspect in the murder.
According to Essex Live, CCTV footage showed Hecko buying two bottles of wine and walking into Breame’s home. He allegedly drank one of the bottles at the scene, leaving it behind as well as the knife handle — both of which had his DNA on it.
Hecko denied knowing Ellingford or being at the home the night of the murder, but a jury found him guilty on Monday following a three-week trial. Following Hecko’s conviction, Ellingford’s wife Laura paid lengthy tribute to her “amazing husband of 17 years.”
“Words cannot describe how I feel about the events of 25th July 2022. 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. “The impact of his death has affected many people in very different ways. It is totally heartbreaking.
“He was a good man, always willing to help friends and neighbors 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,” her statement continued. “In all of this it’s the impact on those two innocent boys that is the most heartbreaking thing. Yes we have all lost Adrian and are dealing our own grief and the consequences of his death but they did not deserve to have their beloved dad taken away from them like this.”
“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,” she said. “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.”
She concluded: “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.”
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