Ex-boyfriend 'beat woman to death leaving her with 70 different injuries – then went for a takeaway'

Mark Donovan, 39, denies murdering Elise Mason, 37, successful Great Baddow, Essex - the prosecution alleges helium near her assemblage to beryllium discovered hours aboriginal aft helium had near home

A pistillate was allegedly beaten and strangled to decease by an ex-partner astatine the location she utilized to stock with him, a tribunal has heard.

Mark Donovan, 39, denies murdering Elise Mason, 37, astatine his location successful Chelmsford, Essex connected April 25, 2023. Donovan is alleged to person "beaten and strangled her to death" earlier leaving her assemblage to beryllium discovered hours later, aft helium had near the house. She was recovered to person suffered 70 antithetic injuries crossed her look and body.

Donovan is said to person called his grandmother, visited a section pub and 2 massage parlours earlier arriving astatine a constabulary presumption successful Ilford with a Chinese takeaway. There, helium is said to person claimed self-defence and told constabulary helium had been "emotionally abused".

At Chelmsford Crown Court, authoritative Andrew Jackson said Donovan "simply could not judge that the narration was over", reports Essex Live. Ms Mason was reported missing to constabulary by her mum, and her assemblage was tragically recovered astatine the location successful the aboriginal hours of April 26, lone a mates of days earlier her birthday.

Jurors were told Elise had sustained much than 70 sites of bruising, abrasions and wounded to her face, head, precocious body, arms and legs. Mr Jackson said these injuries were allegedly caused by "repeated usage of fists and a weapon", said to beryllium a breached and blood-stained array lamp that was recovered by constabulary adjacent her lifeless body.

Mr Jackson said: "In abbreviated her slayer had beaten and strangled her to decease successful that house". In the hours aft Donovan allegedly killed Ms Mason, helium had a portion astatine the Blue Lion pub, wherever helium allegedly dumped Elise's telephone successful a toilet, and made phonecalls to a fig of people, including his grandmother. Mr Jackson added: "It was not past until the aboriginal hours connected the pursuing greeting that helium walked into a constabulary presumption carrying and eating a takeaway Chinese repast and determination helium claimed to officers that helium had acted successful aforesaid defence."

Chelmsford Crown Court was told that Ms Mason and Donovan met arsenic teenagers, and were friends earlier they entered into a relationship. They soon began to unrecorded unneurotic and Elise acted arsenic his carer, assisting him with mundane tasks and making definite that helium took his medication. The mates divided aft 12 years successful 2022, and Elise moved into her mother's home.

But Mr Jackson said Donovan continued to interaction Ms Mason with "a ample volume" of texts and calls implicit respective weeks. On the time of her death, Ms Mason had been successful interaction with her caller partner.

CCTV captured the infinitesimal she near her mum's location astatine 3.50pm. She arrived a small nether 20 minutes aboriginal astatine his address, which the past clip she was seen alive. Phone records amusement that astatine 4.42pm she messaged her spouse saying 'you good babe'. He responded 7 minutes aboriginal to accidental 'course babe' but this reply was ne'er marked arsenic read, the tribunal heard.

Mr Jackson said: "It tells you that astatine 4.42pm, fractional an hr aft she went in, she appears to beryllium susceptible of sending a message, but thing happened betwixt past and 4.49pm that meant she could not work his response. The prosecution lawsuit is that successful that play of clip was erstwhile the murderous battle connected her took place."

The prosecution says Ms Mason was near dormant successful the location for respective hours earlier helium spoke to constabulary officers astatine a presumption successful Ilford. Mr Jackson said: "They called paramedics but thing could beryllium done and she was declared dormant astatine the scene. Her assemblage was recovered laying connected the level precise adjacent to the beforehand door. Her assemblage had been recovered covered with a broad erstwhile it was found. Next to her was a humor stained, breached array lamp betraying its usage arsenic a weapon. It had her humor connected it. Also recovered adjacent to her was a emotion missive from her caller boyfriend. You tin readily reason that she had been carrying it successful her handbag which was recovered nearby.

"That was the container that she was carrying implicit her enarthrosis arsenic she took the fatal locomotion to Rothmans Avenue that day. The prosecution accidental that you tin readily reason that helium [Donovan] saw that missive and it was that and her texting him that day that astir apt caused that choler and murderous unit towards Elise."

The proceedings continues.