Drunken killer returned to scene and told police: I know who did it

A MURDERER was snared by police after drunkenly returning to the scene of the crime and blurting out to an officer: “I know what happened.”

Marek Hecko, 26, was clutching a bottle of brandy as he stumbled up to a house in Nelson Grove, Chelmsford, Essex, on July 25 last year, where a fatal assault had taken place hours earlier.

By this time, police had already begun a murder investigation into the death of Adrian Ellingford, 44, a father of two, and an officer was standing guard outside the house.

Hecko, who was heavily intoxicated, approached the officer and, while taking swigs of brandy, said: “I can help here, what is going on?”

In footage captured by the officer’s body-worn camera, Hecko can be heard saying: “I know what happened, I know the people that are involved, but you need to dig deep.”

The officer asks him for his name, but he tells her: “I’m not going to tell you my name… because I know what happened and you need me to figure out what happened.”

Pressed on what he knew, Hecko continued: “I just know that some guy came here and he f----- up some guy. I don’t know what happened.”

Hecko then became more aggressive to the officer, telling her: “You’re going to think about me, but it is not going to be me, because there is no proof.”

The officer asked him if he thinks he knew what had happened. He replied: “No, I know what happened.”

He then added: “This city is mine.” More officers arrived and arrested Hecko because he had become confrontational. But he was soon identified as the main suspect in the killing.

Investigators established that Mr Ellingford had been with a former partner of Hecko’s on the night of his death and that Hecko had exhibited stalking behaviour towards her.

Mr Ellingford was stabbed in the back at the address of the woman in the early hours of July 25, after Hecko slipped through an open patio door.

Hecko, of Chelmsford, was convicted of murder in a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court. Yesterday, he was sentenced to life with a minimum of 26 years in prison, Essex Police said.

During the trial, Hecko claimed that he arrived at the scene after hearing about the fatal attack on the news. However, there had been no report about the killing at that time.

Det Chief Insp Louise Metcalfe, of Essex Police, said: “This was a senseless attack that has left two children without a father. I hope that they can find some closure now that Hecko is behind bars.”

‘You’re going to think about me, but it is not going to be me, because there is no proof ’