Pair jailed for life for murder of man in Harlow
They've been sentenced following the attack last year
Two men have been jailed for life for murdering a man in Harlow last year.
Cristian Marin-Patru was stabbed in the Hides on November 8th 2021 - he died from his injuries.
In June this year, two men, 25 year-old Jaden Drake from Maclean Road in Bournemouth, and Igors Anderson who's 19 and from Tickenhall Drive in Harlow, were convicted of his murder.
During the trial a court heard that Cristian had been stabbed in the chin, back and neck.
A witness told police they saw a man dressed in grey or blacksuit trousers vaulting the fence at the back of the property at around the time of the attack.
Officers from the Major Investigation Team were able to establish a link between Cristian and Drake, who was a drug dealer running the ‘Bobby Davro’ line in Harlow with a history of carrying knives.
There was also information that 25-year-old Drake had been exploiting someone at the address in The Hides as part of his drug activities.
Fingerprints belonging to Drake and Andersons were found on a number of items in one of the bedrooms and forensic evidence also linked Drake to the scene through DNA.
Additional phone work also showed Drake and Andersons were at the address at the time of the attack.
The pair were arrested 120 miles away in Bournemouth on 11th November after going on the run.
DNA evidence linking them to the attack were also found on Drake’s shoes and on a top discarded at the address where Andersons were arrested.
They were both charged murdering Cristian.
During the trial, Drake claimed Andersons had stabbed Cristian but he had been looking away at the moment of the attack, while Anderson claimed he had blacked out at the key moment but assumed he must have delivered the killing blow.
Ultimately, the jury saw through these implausible stories and found them both guilty of murder.
At Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday 12th August, they were both jailed for life with Drake told he will spend at least 20 years in prison and Andersons a minimum of 18 years.
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Antony Alcock, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said:
“Cristian’s death was a waste of life and a sad loss for his family and his young child.
“Jayden Drake and Igors Andersons planned and carried out a brutal attack, using extreme violence, to take Cristian’s life.
“The fled, not only the scene, but the whole county, travelling 120 miles in an attempt to evade capture.
“However, our teams work exceptionally hard to get justice for victims and their families, and Drake and Andersons were convicted as a result of the skill and commitment from a number of departments across Essex Police.
“They’ll now spend a significant amount of time behind bars and Essex is a safer place as a result.
“No sentence will ever bring Cristian back but I hope this result will help his family move forward.”