Twisted dad’s chilling 999 murder confession just moments after school run…before cops discover his deadly infatuation

JUST minutes after returning home from the school run, dad-of-two Chris Hemming dialled 999 and calmly admitted he’d stabbed his ex partner Cheryl Mckenna as she lay in her bed. In what became one of the most chilling calls West Mercia Police had ever received the 47-year-old told the call handler: “This is probably the worst call you are going to have today and I am sorry for that.” Cheryl Mckenna was stabbed multiple times by her jealous ex partner Credit: West Mercia Police Chris Hemming finished the school run before he carried out the frenzied attack Hemming, who stabbed his Cheryl so many times that the knife snapped, admitted he had murdered his ex while she was lying in bed. With police cars racing to the scene, Hemming even asked if he could end the call so he could tell his manager he would not be coming into work that day, while Cheryl lay fatally wounded next door. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Asked why he had done it, Chris, who admitted carrying out the attack “five minutes ago”, replied in a flat monotone: “She’s been lying and cheating and f****** other men. “I confronted her. She tried to deny it. I’d already seen the evidence. “I simply killed her. It was the long and the short of it.” Although Chris confessed within minutes, detectives still had to piece together exactly what had happened and establish whether the killing had been planned. Now, a new BBC documentary, Murder 24/7, follows West Mercia Police from the moment of the emergency call through to Hemming’s conviction, uncovering the motive behind the killing and the chilling trail of evidence he left behind. Detectives later discovered the 999 call was not the first call Hemming had made after the attack. Most read in The Sun Using Cheryl’s phone, he had also phoned a friend named Paul and boasted: “I wish the camera worked on this phone so I could show you what I’ve done.” The murder — committed on their son’s birthday — came after what police believe was months of coercive and controlling behaviour. Police at the scene of the murder at the family home in Redditch, West Midlands. Credit: BPM The emergency call handler said it was one the most harrowing calls of her career Credit: BBC Cheryl’s 18-year-old daughter told officers: “Their relationship had not been perfect for two years. They’d argue about money, jobs or the boys, but over time it got way more tense and the arguments became more frequent, so they split up fully.” She added: “He would always talk bad about my mum. He was never a fully patient person but it got worse. When they argued in the house I’d lock my door because I felt unsafe — he’s a six-foot man.” Bodycam footage recorded four months before Cheryl’s death showed officers responding to a domestic abuse incident at the family home in Redditch, where the couple continued living together because they shared a mortgage. The footage shows Hemming apologising for “wasting police time” before becoming increasingly angry. After the murder police found a secret tracker on Cheryl’s car Credit: BBC Detectives found pieces of evidence which revealed a motive for the crime Credit: BBC He says: “She spends all her time with everyone else but not me. She has been out all night with her ‘friend’ and that’s f****** frustrating. “She is only here because we have a mortgage together, not because she wants to be with me.” Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Lougher said: “You can only imagine what happens in that four-month period.” Police also uncovered evidence that Hemming had secretly been tracking Cheryl’s car for months, allowing him to monitor her movements as his obsession with her intensified. When Cheryl’s mother learnt her daughter had begun a new relationship, she believed there was finally a chance for her to move on. She said: “She had said before that she was talking to an old friend again. One day she came and said, ‘We want to be together.’ I was slightly relieved that she could get away from him.” But it was a relationship Chris never accepted. Cheryl’s daughter also recalled him making repeated threats. Hemming had been secretly tracking Cheryl’s movements before the murder took place Credit: West Mercia Police DCI Gareth Lougher examines the evidence to try to find a motive for the murder Credit: BBC She recalls: “He’d said once or twice, ‘I feel like killing her sometimes.’ I just didn’t know what to say because I thought he wasn’t going to do it — he always went on about how much he cared. “He said it the day before, and a couple of weeks before that. He said he knew she was cheating, but he wouldn’t say how.” Although Hemming refused to give detectives access to his mobile phone, specialist forensic software uncovered a hidden note he had written just six hours before the murder. It read: “It is a terrible feeling to be dropped and be given no chance of reconciliation. “And then to find out she has secretly been with someone else. The texts and the pictures they have shared are just lies. I don’t know how long it has been going on. “Not allowed to get angry or upset, as that just makes me out to be a bad person. I am just left with my feeling of loss, anger and upset and ultimately rage. “The loss would have been better if she had just died.” Domestic abuse - how to get help DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence. Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship: Emotional abuse – Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse – gaslighting – being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to Threats and intimidation – Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you Physical abuse – This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten. Sexual abuse – Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent. If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers: Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline on 0800 027 1234 for free at any time, day or night Men who are being abused can call Abused Men In Scotland (AMIS) on 03300 949 395 or ManKind on 0182 3334 244 Those who identify as LGBT+ can ring Galop on 0800 999 5428 If you are in immediate danger or fear for your life, always ring 999 Remember, you are not alone.1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime.Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse. Hemming was later jailed for life for Cheryl’s murder and ordered to serve a minimum of 15 years and 117 days behind bars. Det Ch Insp Lougher said: “It is clear to us that the attack on Cheryl intended to kill her after he realised their relationship had ended and he couldn’t bear to see her happy with someone else. “It was simply a case of ‘if I can’t have her, no one can’. “What Hemming did that day was a purely evil crime, and despite admitting to killing Cheryl when he called police, he then chose to plead not guilty at court.” Murder 24/7 is available on BBC iPlayer. Comment now