Final message of siege gunman

A GUNMAN wrote a tender message to his wife while besieged in his home by police marksmen, it was claimed today.

Barrister Mark Saunders, 32, was found dead after exchanging fire with police during a five-hour stand-off at his £2.2 million (€2.79m) Chelsea flat.

Neighbour Jane Wink-worth said he threw a white cardboard box from a window as he held off police with a shotgun.

She said the box carried a message written in black pen. It read: “I love my wife dearly xxx.”

Witnesses described how a woman, believed to be Mr Saunders’ wife Elizabeth, fled the Markham Square flat in tears shortly before shots rang out last night.

Mrs Winkworth ran for her life after Mr Saunders shot at her as she stood in the back garden of the three-storey property.

The businesswoman was then trapped in her basement flat with armed police as they attempted to negotiate the gunman’s surrender.

She said the gunman appeared calm, only shouting “I can’t hear you” at officers as they attempted to give him instructions.

Colleagues at QEB Chambers, where Mr Saunders worked as a divorce barrister, described the incident as a personal tragedy.

His wife, who uses the professional name Elizabeth Clarke, is a family law barrister at the same firm.

The deputy chairman of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, Ian Bynoe, appealed for witnesses.

“Our own team of investigators will shortly be starting house-to-house inquiries,” he said.

Officers will also study CCTV footage.