SPECIALIST detectives have ensured two men will face a significant amount of time behind bars after they were convicted of the murder of Cristian-Marin Patru in Harlow.

Cristian was found injured at an address in The Hides at around 5.40pm on 8 November last year.

Officers had been called to the address following reports of a disturbance.

When they arrived they had to force entry to get inside before finding the 24 year-old collapsed on the floor with a considerable amount of blood in a number of rooms and trail leading up a path outside to the rear gate.

Sadly, Cristian was pronounced dead at the scene.

He had stab wounds to his chin, back and neck.

A witness told our officers they saw a man dressed in a dark tracksuit vaulting the fence at the back of the property around of the time of the attack.

Through further investigations, officers established a link between Cristian and a drug dealer called Jayden Drake who was running the ‘Bobby Davro’ drug line in Harlow.

There was also information that 25 year-old Drake had been using the address in The Hides as part of his drug activities and he had a history of carrying knives.

Drake’s fingerprints were found on a number of items in one of the bedrooms as were those of another man, 19 year-old Igors Andersons.

Detectives were able to establish that Drake and Andersons were at the address at the time of the attack.

A man hunt for the pair led officers to an address in Bournemouth where they were arrested on 11 November.

Cristian’s blood was found on Drake and Anderson’s clothing and shoes, some of which was discarded at the address where they were arrested.

They were both charged with murder.

At the trial, Drake claimed Andersons had stabbed Cristian but claimed that he was looking away at the moment of the attack.

Andersons claimed he had blacked out at the moment the injuries were inflicted but assumed he had caused the injuries – however he claimed it it must have been in self-defence.

Today (Tuesday 31 May) following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court Drake, of Maclean Road, Bournemouth, and Andersons, of Tickenhall Drive, Harlow, were both found guilty of murder.

A third man, 18 year-old Fraser Chung, of Tudor Avenue, Cheshunt, who had also been charged with murder, was found not guilty.

Drake and Andersons are due to be sentenced at the same court on 22 July.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Ant Alcock said: “Cristian was killed in a brutal and senseless attack.

“Jayden Drake and Igors Andersons used extreme violence to take Cristian’s life in a planned attack.

“They then ran from the scene, fleeing more than 120 miles in an attempt to evade justice.

“However, there was no escaping what they had done or Essex Police.

“They are now facing spending a significant amount of time behind bars and Essex is a safer place because of this.

“Officers from across the force contribute on a daily basis to reducing drug driven violence in our county and safeguarding those most vulnerable in society. It is a policing priority for us, and will continue to be so.

“No court result will ever bring Cristian back but I hope the conviction of these two men will help his family move forward.”