Man guilty of murdering partner

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Tests showed Ms Chimweta, who was a nurse, died from asphyxiation

A man was found guilty of murdering his partner after a girl, aged 11 at the time, raised the alarm when she was left alone with the body for a week.

Ella Chimweta, 32, was found on 16 July last year at Weetmans Drive, Colchester after the girl finally told neighbours.

Tests showed Miss Chimweta, who was a nurse, died from asphyxiation.

Daniel Tambengwa, 30, was jailed for life at Chelmsford Crown Court and will serve at least 15 years after which he will be deported to Cameroon.

Tambengwa had denied murdering Miss Chimweta but he was convicted by a jury after a five-week trial.

Jurors were told Tambengwa tried to persuade the girl to have sex after killing Miss Chimweta before flying to Cameroon where he later handed himself in to authorities.

Daniel Tambengwa fled to Cameroon, the court was told

The court heard the girl stopped a stranger in the street one week after the killing and asked for help.

Miss Chimweta's body was found by police on her bedroom floor under a pile of clothes and luggage.

Jurors found Tambengwa guilty of murder but not guilty of trying to engage in sex with the child and not guilty of trying to make the child watch a porn video.

Miss Chimweta, a Zimbabwean, had met Tambengwa, who was training to be a bio-medical scientist, three years before her death.

The court was told Tambengwa was unhappy because Miss Chimweta did not want to have sex with him.