GREAT BADDOW MAN HANDED LIFE FOR HEINOUS WIFE MURDER

Mark Donovan has been sentenced to life imprisonment following his conviction for the murder of his estranged wife at his residence in Great Baddow, near Chelmsford. The mother of two, suffered over 70 injuries during the attack, which included strangulation and being struck with a table lamp. Court proceedings revealed that the relationship ended in 2022, with Donovan suspecting she had started a new relationship. On the day of the killing in April 2023, the victim left her mother's house and was captured on CCTV walking toward Donovan’s home at 16:09. Donovan allowed her entry, claiming it was to give her a birthday gift. Following the assault, Donovan went to the Blue Lion pub locally, where he consumed alcohol before surrendering to police in east London. At the time, he was serving a suspended sentence for assault and was under a restraining order which he had breached. During the trial, Donovan refused to stand in the dock, asserting that the victim was abusive and claiming self-defense. The judge described the murder as “a brutal attack on a defenceless woman” and sentenced Donovan to serve at least 18 years before parole considerations. The victims daughter stated she was killed for attempting to leave an abusive relationship and to provide her children with a better future. The victims mother mentioned that their family moved away from their home due to painful memories.