Dan Cross swiftly contacted emergency services upon hearing his wife’s distressing screams in the background during their phone call, alerting them to the ongoing attack she was facing. Dan, who was away on a business trip in Hull, received the devastating news that his wife had been tragically killed, leaving him in profound sorrow.
The day had started routinely for Dan, with his wife, Nicola, attending to their unwell children at home in Hertfordshire while he was away. Nicola, having spotted a suspicious individual attempting to enter their residence, had called the police for assistance, but the man was not detained after a search.
Shortly after this incident, on September 14, 2015, Nicola informed Dan about the unfolding events. She disclosed to him that the man she had reported earlier was back outside the house, causing her concern. Dan reassured her, but Nicola, still on edge, heard noises and expressed her fear to Dan over the phone.
As Nicola went downstairs to investigate, Dan overheard a confrontation, followed by distressing screams and the haunting sound of their children crying out for their mother. Dan, being hours away, frantically dialed emergency services for help, feeling helpless in the face of the unfolding tragedy.
Eventually, authorities were dispatched to their home in Hemel Hempstead, with a police officer also attending to Dan at his hotel. Dan’s worst fears were confirmed when he was informed of his wife’s passing, leading to an emotional breakdown in the officer’s arms.
Nicola had been viciously stabbed by Marcin Porczynski, a local Polish car mechanic, who managed to enter their home by breaking a window with a plant pot. Tragically, Nicola succumbed to her injuries during the attack, while her children remained unharmed.
Porczynski faced serious charges, including murder, kidnapping, and burglary, with investigations revealing his struggles with paranoid schizophrenia and delusions. Despite pleading not guilty to most charges, he admitted to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, leaving Dan to face the grim reality of his wife’s killer.
The harrowing ordeal shed light on the devastating consequences of Porczynski’s actions, portraying him not as a malevolent figure but as a troubled individual with profound mental health issues.