THIS is the chilling moment a killer calmly ate a Chinese takeaway while confessing to murdering his ex-wife.
Mark Donovan, 39, inflicted 70 separate injuries on Elise Mason, 37, at the home they once shared in Chelmsford, Essex.
The killer strangled the mum-of-two and battered her with a lamp before heading to his local pub to throw Elise’s phone in the toilet.
CCTV showed him enjoying a drink two drinks at the bar then heading to two separate massage parlours.
After ordering a Chinese takeaway, he took the bag to Ilford police station to tell officers he had done “the worst thing”.
Donovan was still eating his noodles with his hands while speaking to police to confess the gruesome crime.
He has now been found guilty of murder following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.
Jurors heard Donovan and Elise had been friends as teenagers before embarking on a relationship in 2010
After the couple split in 2022, the killer couldn’t accept his ex had moved on.
He bombarded the mum with numerous texts and phone calls in a bid to manipulate her.
On April 25, 2023, Elise was seen heading to her former marital home where Donovan was now living.
Around two hours later, the monster left the house with his ex-wife’s phone and bank card.
Elise was later discovered by the front door still wearing her coat and shoes.
Evil Donovan claimed he was innocent on the grounds of diminished responsibility and said Elise had emotionally and physically abused him.
But jurors saw through his lies after just three hours of deliberation and he will be sentenced tomorrow.
Detective Inspector James Holmes, senior investigating officer, said: “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.
“Mark Donovan is clearly a dangerous, selfish and manipulative man.
“[His] 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.”
