A POLICE Community Support Officer told the inquest of Maria Stubbings how he was made to feel “uneasy” during an encounter with her murderer, just days before he strangled her to death.

Ian Hilton was giving evidence during the second day of the hearing at Chelmsford Coroner’s Court.

The family have fought for an inquest to be heard into the death of Maria.

On Monday, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York - a friend of Mrs Stubbings’ family - attended the hearing to show her support.

Maria’s former partner Marc Chiver’s admitted murdering her in October 2009 and was jailed for life.

He strangled the 50-year-old to death between December 15 and 18 in 2008. Chivers had already served a life-term in a German prison following the death of another former partner in 1992.

And in July 2008, Chivers, a German dual-national, was jailed for four months for assaulting Mrs Stubbings.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has since published two highly critical reports highlighting Essex Police's failures to protect her.

During the second day of the hearing - which is expected to last between five and six weeks - PCSO Hilton recalled an encounter with Chivers in one of the car parks at Hylands Park, Chelmsford on December 11, 2008.

He came across Chivers and three 15-year-olds, one of which was Benji Stubbings, Maria’s son, in a Saab while on patrol, shortly after midday.

PCSO Hilton said he was drawn to the car as something didn’t look right. It turned out that Chivers was with Benji without Maria’s permission soon after she had reported Chivers to the police for theft of some of her medication.

PCSO Hilton carried out checks on Chivers through the Police National Computer and called for back up. After a search of his car by police officers, Chivers was allowed to go free.

But PCSO Hilton said: “Chivers made me feel uneasy. He was a strange looking character. He had a large scar down the side of his left cheek and he was very on edge.”

The community support officer told the inquest that during that encounter, Chivers had told him that “three months of his life being messed up by being in prison” and that he felt Maria’s complaint of sexual assualt on him was unfair.

PCSO Hilton, who now works as a customer contact adviser at Colchester Police Station said officers warned Chivers that if he was caught with Benji again without Maria’s permission, he would face arrest for kidnap. Mr Hilton added: “[After the incident at the park had been dealt with] Chivers told me he was going to home and sort it out.

“I assumed he meant having been with Benji without Maria’s permission.”

*The inquest continues.