Essex man convicted of murdering ex-partner who was 'loved by everybody'
The murder handed himself in the next day, walking into the police station eating a Chinese takeaway
Last updated 28th Feb 2025
An Essex man's been convicted of murdering his ex-partner.
Mark Donovan, 39, inflicted 70 separate injuries on 37-year-old Elise Mason in a sustained attack at his address in Great Baddow, on 25 April 2023.
An investigation began after Donovan walked into Ilford police station, in east London, the following day.
He entered the police station eating a takeaway Chinese meal, before telling Metropolitan Police officers he had done “the worst thing”.
The officers were concerned about his comments and behaviour and asked Essex Police to call at Donovan’s home address.
When officers arrived at the address, in Rothmans Avenue, they found Elise unresponsive, with extensive injuries later found to be consistent with blows to the head and strangulation.
A post-mortem examination would later find bruises to her hands and forearms consistent with defensive injuries.
An investigation worked to establish a timeline of Donovan’s actions, contacts and behaviour in the hours following the murder.
These inquiries found Elise was last seen alive at around 4.09pm on 25 April, captured on CCTV approaching Donovan’s house.
At around 6.30pm that evening, after fatally assaulting Elise and abandoning her body at his home, Donovan was seen entering a nearby pub.
He drank at the pub and concealed his victim’s phone in the pub’s toilets, leaving in a taxi at around 6.50pm.
Donovan then visited a family member, before journeying on to a massage parlour in Chelmsford.
Finding the business closed, he visited a second massage parlour in the Romford area.
He then handed himself in at Ilford police station in the early hours of 26 April.
Donovan and the victim were married, but it's believed their relationship ended in 2022.
He continued to send Elise numerous texts and phone calls in a bid to manipulate her and reestablish their relationship.
Donovan was charged with and denied murder, standing trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.
Today, he was convicted by a jury after just three hours of deliberation.
He will be sentenced at the same court on Wednesday 5 March.