A businessman who sued Essex Police for nearly £1 million over the murder of his sister has been awarded only a small fraction of the claim.

Manuel Fernandez, 52, said the murder of Maria Stubbings, 50, from Chelmsford, by her ex-partner left him with depression and grief which caused £900,000 in pecuniary damages.

He took Essex Police to court after they were found to have made "serious" failures leading to her death, despite the force offering £50,000 to settle.

On Tuesday a Central London County Court judge said the force must pay just £20,000 of non-pecuniary damages for the emotional impact, ruling out awards for loss of earnings.

Ms Stubbing was killed in December 2008 by Marc Chivers, who met her after his release from a 15-year prison sentence in Germany for killing another woman in 1992.

A report published in 2013 by the Independent Police Complaints Commission said the force "should have been far more proactive" to protect her.

Mr Fernandez, who has been pictured several times with the Duchess of York, argued the death of his sister led to his redundancy from technology firm FICO and caused depression, feelings of injustice and anger.

In his judgment, given on Tuesday, Judge Alper Riza QC said Mr Fernandez was in fact made redundant "in consequence of a perceived need" by the firm.

"I am not satisfied he was made redundant because he was under-performing owing to 'a prolonged depressive reaction' that lasted 18 months to two years," he said.

Mr Fernandez's subsequent launch of Vvoosh, a lifestyle startup, was also described as an "ambitious" venture which "shed light" on his confidence.

The judge labelled Mr Fernandez's conduct as a witness in the hearing "strange at the outset".

He said: "He froze for a prolonged period while taking the oath; was often tearful; used an expletive on one occasion; and protested he did not want money from (the police) shouting 'I do not want your money'."

Mr Fernandez also gave "confusing evidence about the time he acquired an Aston Martin", which he bought new while still at FICO.

The "very expensive" car was "evidence of a lifestyle he sought to suppress", the judge said.

During the proceedings Mr Fernandez, who was not at the judgment hearing, also disobeyed an order not to discuss the case, the judge noted.

Judge Riza rejected "as naive" Mr Fernandez's claim his "only interest is justice, not money".

Rejecting pecuniary damages, he added: "In my judgment he is as interested in justice as he is in money."

But the judge agreed the police's "failure to protect life was serious" and that "caused him even to say that he holds them more responsible than the murderer".

He said £6,000 in non-pecuniary damages, a limit the police had argued for, would be "far too low and might even be regarded as insulting".

In total, Mr Fernandez was awarded £20,000, plus £850 for therapy for his depression.

The force had accepted Mr Fernandez was an "indirect victim" of its failure to protect Ms Stubbings.

A costs hearing will be scheduled for a later date.