Handyman murdered ex's new partner by smashing him on the head and burning him alive in car
A handyman has been found guilty of murdering his ex's new partner by knocking him out and burning him alive in his car.
Mark Chilman, 52, is facing life in prison after he was convicted of killing of 66-year-old former company director Neil Parkinson.
He hit Parkinson with an unknown weapon before putting him unconscious in his 4x4 car and setting it on fire in an attempt to cover up his crime as suicide.
Parkinson’s body was discovered in the burning BMW X5 in a lay-by in Worcestershire on 12 December last year.
Jurors were told how Chilman attacked Parkinson after finding out he was in a relationship with his ex-partner Juliet Adcock.
The pair had split up in June last year but Chilman remained “obsessed” Adcock.
The court heard how Chilman used a tracker on her car to follow her and stole her underwear after breaking into her home.
Chilman went on trial accused of murder at Worcester Crown Court and was found guilty on Thursday.
The defendant lowered his head and closed his eyes as he learned his fate.
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He is expected to be jailed for life when he is sentenced next week.
The court was told how Chilman lay in wait before he ambushed his victim striking him over the back of the head with a weighty object like a hammer.
Parkinson had been on his way home caring for his elderly mother after spending the evening with Adcock.
Chilman drove his unconscious body to a lay-by and used around 40 litres of petrol from two stolen jerry cans to set him on fire in the driver's seat of his car.
Jurors were told how he deliberately centred the blaze around his body, staging it to look like he committed suicide.
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A post-mortem examination revealed Parkinson had suffered a smashed skull and was alive when he was put in the driving seat of the car before it was torched.
Chilman later sent a "suicide text" to Adcock, purporting to be from Parkinson, in which he wrote: "I lead a double life. I use and abuse woman [sic]."
But Adcock said she knew the message had not been written by her partner because of the "appalling" spelling and grammar.
He also sent other fake text messages pretending to be from Parkinson, claiming that he was having sexual relationships with three other women.
The court was told how Chilman was still obsessed with Adcock and bought the same perfume as her which he sprayed on clothes he stole from her.
When they were together, Chilman would write love messages in her lipstick on her bedroom and bathroom mirrors which said: “I love you forever.”
He also left a noose to 'hang himself' and a sledgehammer at the farm and put a tracking device on her car because he suspected she was "having an affair".
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