TWO men have been jailed for a total of almost 40 years for the murder of Cristian Marin-Patru following work by detectives.

Cristian was fatally stabbed at an address in the Hides, Harlow at around 5.40pm on November 8 last year.

In June this year two men – 25 year-old Jaden Drake, of Maclean Road, Bournemouth and Igors Andersons, 19, of Tickenhall Drive, Harlow – were convicted of his murder.

During the trial, the jury heard that Cristian had sustained stab wounds to his chin, back, and neck.

A witness told officers they saw a man dressed in grey or black tracksuit trousers vaulting the fence at the back of the property at around the time of the attack.

Officers from the Major Investigation Team were able to establish a link between Cristian and Drake, who was a drug dealer running the ‘Bobby Davro’ line in Harlow with a history of carrying knives.

There was also information that 25-year-old Drake had been exploiting someone at the address in The Hides as part of his drug activities.

Fingerprints belonging to Drake and Andersons were found on a number of items in one of the bedrooms and forensic evidence also linked Drake to the scene through DNA.

Additional phone work also showed Drake and Andersons were at the address at the time of the attack.

The pair were arrested 120 miles away in Bournemouth on 11 November after going on the run.

DNA evidence linking them to the attack were also found on Drake’s shoes and on a top discarded at the address where Andersons were arrested.

They were both charged with murder.

During the trial, Drake claimed Andersons had stabbed Cristian but he had been looking away at the moment of the attack, while Anderson claimed he had blacked out at the key moment but assumed he must have delivered the killing blow.

Ultimately, the jury saw through these implausible stories and found them both guilty of murder.

At Chelmsford Crown Court today (Friday 12 August), they both jailed for life with Drake told he will spend at least 20 years in prison and Andersons a minimum of 18 years.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Antony Alcock, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “Cristian’s death was a waste of life and a sad loss for his family and his young child.

“Jayden Drake and Igors Andersons planned and carried out a brutal attack, using extreme violence, to take Cristian’s life.

“The fled, not only the scene, but the whole county, travelling 120 miles in an attempt to evade capture.

“However, our teams work exceptionally hard to get justice for victims and their families, and Drake and Andersons were convicted as a result of the skill and commitment from a number of departments across Essex Police. 

“They’ll now spend a significant amount of time behind bars and Essex is a safer place as a result.

“No sentence will ever bring Cristian back, but I hope this result will help his family move forward.”