Mark Donovan murdered his ex-wife, Elise Mason, after she ended the relationship. He received a life sentence for the crime.
The court learned about Donovan’s past. He had harassed people and broken orders. He also assaulted someone and made threats. This showed a history of abuse, the prosecutor said. Donovan would not come to court.
He could not accept Elise leaving him. He also couldn’t accept her new relationship. He will be in jail for at least 16 years.
Elise’s mom, Kim Casselden, spoke about her. She said Elise was her kids’ best friend. The children did everything with her. They are lost without their mom. Casselden said Elise was also her best friend. She was also her soul mate.
Holidays are not the same now. They miss Elise very much. The judge said Elise’s death caused great sadness. One of Elise’s children shared a statement. They said their bond was strong. They lost that bond with her death. The child feels anger towards Mark Donovan.
He made a selfish choice. He took their mom away from them. He could not cope with her leaving. Police found Elise’s body in Great Baddow. She visited Donovan on April 25, 2023. This was just days before her birthday.
CCTV showed her arriving at his home around 4:09 pm. Donovan brutally attacked her inside. He inflicted 70 injuries, the judge stated. She was trying to leave him. After the attack, Donovan left Elise’s body.
He went to a nearby pub on CCTV. He drank there and hid her phone. He left in a taxi around 6:50 pm. Donovan visited family and massage parlors. Then, he turned himself in. He told police he did the worst thing while eating.
The judge said Donovan killed Elise in a rage. She sent a message to her boyfriend. She did nothing to provoke him. His claims were false. A police inspector called Donovan dangerous and selfish.
He lied to avoid blame. He could not accept Elise moving on. He killed her in anger, the inspector noted. He had a drink, massage, and food after. This shows what kind of person he is. He belongs in prison forever.