Man who strangled estranged partner before going to the pub and a massage parlour is convicted of murder - Irish Post

[Gerard Donaghy]

A MAN who beat and strangled his estranged partner before going to the pub and a massage parlour has been convicted of murder.

Mark Donovan, 40, inflicted 70 separate injuries on 37-year-old Elise Mason in a sustained attack at his Essex home in April 2023.

He then went to a nearby pub for a drink, where he disposed of his victim's phone, before visiting a massage parlour.

Donovan handed himself into police the following day, entering the station eating a Chinese takeaway.

"His nonchalant attitude after committing such a savage murder is indicative of someone who has no remorse ending the life of a woman who had every right to end her association with him," said Lucy Broughton of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Catastrophic injuries​

Enquiries by Essex Police established that Donovan and Ms Mason were married but that their relationship had ceased in 2022.

However, he continued to send the mother-of-two numerous texts and phone calls in a bid to manipulate her and re-establish their relationship.

Unable to accept that his ex-partner had moved on, Donovan confronted Ms Mason at his property in Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex just after 4pm on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.

While at the address, Donovan used a table lamp to deliver catastrophic injuries to Ms Mason, who had attempted to defend herself.

After attacking Ms Mason, Donovan had a drink at a nearby pub, where he disposed of her phone (Image: Essex Police)

After beating her violently he proceeded to strangle her, which, coupled with her extensive injuries, contributed to her death.

At around 6.30pm, after fatally assaulting Ms Mason and abandoning her body at his home, Donovan visited a nearby pub for a drink and while there disposed of her mobile phone in a toilet.

He left in a taxi at around 6.50pm and 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.

In the early hours of April 26, Donovan walked into Ilford Police Station eating a Chinese takeaway, before telling officers he had done 'the worst thing'.

Donovan entered a police station the following day eating a Chinese takeaway (Image: Essex Police)

The officers asked Essex Police to call at Donovan's home address, where they found Ms Mason unresponsive.

She had extensive injuries that were later found to be consistent with blows to the head and strangulation.

A post-mortem examination also found bruises to her hands and forearms consistent with defensive injuries.

Donovan, who claimed he acted in self-defence, was charged with murder and stood trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.

On Friday, he was convicted by a jury after just three hours of deliberation and will be sentenced at the same court on Wednesday, March 5.

'Horrific attack'​

"Clearly his actions were not of a man defending himself, they were instead those of a violent and dangerous man determined to inflict serious harm," added Ms Broughton.

Meanwhile, Detective Inspector James Holmes of Essex Police described Donovan as a 'dangerous, selfish and manipulative man'.

"I want to express my heartfelt sympathy to Elise's family and in particular her two children, who have tragically been left without their mother because of Donovan's destructive and utterly heartless actions," he said.

"I hope that the jury's verdict will bring some closure for them, and they can move on with their lives to some degree.

"Mark Donovan is clearly a dangerous, selfish and manipulative man.

"Never content with accepting responsibility for the horrific attack he carried out against Elise, he instead decided to tell officers, medical professionals and a jury a series of awful lies about his victim in a bid to shift the blame onto her.

"Thankfully, due to the evidence we managed to gather, a jury saw through this despicable ploy.

"In reality, Donovan's warped and self-centred mind could never accept that Elise had moved on from their relationship.

"He killed her in a fit of rage, only handing himself in after enjoying a drink at a pub, a massage and a takeaway meal.

"That behaviour shows the kind of man he is. He can expect to spend the rest of his life where he belongs."