Two men have been jailed for a total of at almost 40 years for murder following work by specialist detectives.

Cristian Marin-Patru 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.

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 Essex Police's major investigation team established a link between Cristian and Drake, who was a drug dealer running the ‘Bobby Davro’ line in Harlow and known to have 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 November 11 after going on the run.

DNA evidence linking them to the attack was 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 on Friday, they were both jailed for life. Drake was told he will spend at least 20 years in prison and Andersons a minimum of 18 years.