UK UK - Sarah Wellgreen, 46, Kent, 9 Oct 2018 #2 *B. Lacomba guilty*

[Alyce]

I'd like to know for definite when he purchased the grave digging shovel - and how much time it spent in the shed in the time before and after Sarah's disappearance, whether the kids noticed it etc.

Personally I do believe he at least prepped the burial site in advance and I'm still leaning towards the area around Wrotham transmitter as a burial site, that bridle path is literally on the A20 and I doubt LE have a lot of cctv from the area because they initially concentrated on the area much closer to Bazes Shaw so a lot of potential footage could have been overwritten by the time they worked out how far the car-identical-to-his-but-not-his travelled that night, let alone in the days or weeks beforehand

Josie have you got that link handy ? I know you put it on the earlier thread and would be good to see it again

 

[Websleuther08]

I think in the testimony they said - unfortunately - that the soil was not dissimilar to soil found in the New Ash Green area.

Oh sorry I didn't see that part.

 

[Alyce]

11:19
Court resumes
The court has resumed and is expected to hear a witness statement from Lacomba’s family solicitor.

 

[Websleuther08]

I too wondered if the grave was pre-dug yesterday and if he came back and dumped her body but took a meticulous time to cover her up. Funnily enough I don't know how long it would take someone to dig a big enough grave for a body to go in, but he's not the healthiest or fittest of men. So maybe he prepared it and went back with her body on a separate day as I can't see him having the energy (NERF player or not) to drug her, take her out carefully, dig the grave with her by him at risk of being caught (unlikely but not impossible) and then throw her in. No wonder he vomited!

With the wet bed, as it's still high up where the bed was meant to be damp I still think either he forced a drink down her full of drugs (which is the lesser likely version) or she went to bed with wet hair from showering and he did what he did then on. If it were urine or whatever else, surely it would be the middle of the bed, otherwise she must have been sat high up to have had any bodily fluids go on to the bed at the top of it?

 

[Mommysleuth11]

Looking back now, I'm not actually certain it is the same witness who was up on the night of Sarah's disappearance.

I tend to agree, something about the simplicity of the 'dad driving his taxi' statement, made me think the younger child. I would have expected a little more discriptive detail from a clearly articulate teen.

Im also interested at what point the lights in the house were seen to be turned on, we are told they are turned off just before 5am, after been turned on earlier, how much earlier? I know we dont get full reports from court but it seems so bitty, its a little frustrating to hear half of every story.

 

[Alyce]

11:34
'On the top of any suspect list'
A statement was taken on September 26, 2019 from Lacomba’s family proceedings solicitor, Julia Brand.

She is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales and her firm has offices in Dartford.

She only deals with family disputes and she represented Lacomba in 2014 until an order was made on August 23, 2017.

“I have also represented Ben Lacomba in the court proceedings relating to the property he shared with Sarah Wellgreen, also known as Sarah Lacomba.

“On the morning of October 16, 2018, I had telephone contact with Ben who informed me that Sarah was missing.

“He told me that she had left the family home in the middle of the night and had since not returned. I recall jokingly emphasising to Ben that he must be on the top of any suspect list in the event of foul play. He jokingly agreed.

“I recall Ben expressed surprise that he would need an urgent interim order (for custody of the children).”


Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder

 

[Alyce]

11:41
The agreed facts
Bringing the evidence in the trial to a close, Judge Christopher Kinch laid out the agreed facts.

• On 27 June 2019, Ben Lacomba’s solicitors photograph the journey from Fawkham Road, Rogers Wood Lane and Billit Hill which Lacomba says he took to drive back from West Kingsdown to New Ash Green.These pictures are shown to the jury.
• There were messages recovered on Sarah’s white Samsung Galaxy phone that were “sexually explicit”
• 122 other Vauxhall Zafiras are registered in the three postcode areas around New Ash Green.
• 10 were the same model but none of those were registered as taxis

“My lord that closes the case of Ben Lacomba,” says defending Benjamin Newton.

Judge Kinch QC tells the Jury: “You have now heard the case from both sides and the evidence is now complete.”



Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder

 

[Mommysleuth11]

With the wet bed, as it's still high up where the bed was meant to be damp I still think either he forced a drink down her full of drugs (which is the lesser likely version) or she went to bed with wet hair from showering and he did what he did then on. If it were urine or whatever else, surely it would be the middle of the bed, otherwise she must have been sat high up to have had any bodily fluids go on to the bed at the top of it?

If we take into account that evidence could possibly come from a small child though, "the top part" of the bed doesnt neccesarily mean the head end, it could lierally just mean the top of the matress/sheet, there inst mention of any duvets or pillows so i think its hard to say difinitively either way. Moo

 

[mrazda71]

If we take into account that evidence could possibly come from a small child though, "the top part" of the bed doesnt neccesarily mean the head end, it could lierally just mean the top of the matress/sheet, there inst mention of any duvets or pillows so i think its hard to say difinitively either way. Moo

Yes a 6 year old might say 'top of the bed' meaning the head/pillow chest area or they might mean - ON the top - the duvet cover.

 

[wookielover185]

so does this mean that the the jury is "out" deliberating ? or is there closing statements etc ? what does everyone think in terms of how long to return a verdict ?

 

[mrazda71]

Is that literally IT for the trial bar summing up?

No expert witnesses?
No speak of forensics or lack of?

No last word from Mummy on how they all shared a giggle when Ben pointed to a gift wrapped grave digger shovel under the Christmas tree and said 'can you guess what it is Mummy?'

 

[Noseyjosie]

Josie have you got that link handy ? I know you put it on the earlier thread and would be good to see it again

Hi Alyce, try this one.
Google Maps

If you look from Hilltop there's a small road heads down to London Road (A20) then look South West and you can see the transmitter - the silvery thing sticking up through the trees. I'll try and get a street view of the bridle path to show how close it is.....

 

[Legally Bland]

so does this mean that the the jury is "out" deliberating ? or is there closing statements etc ? what does everyone think in terms of how long to return a verdict ?

Possibly a pre-closing statement summing up by the judge. Then closing statements followed by summing up. Then jury is out.

 

[Alyce]

11:55
What's next in the trial?
Judge Christopher Kinch explains that after today, the court will adjourn until 10am on Monday.

This is when the speeches begin - first from the prosecution, then the defence.

On Tuesday, Judge Kinch will sum up and then the Jury will reture either late on Tuesday, or Wednesday.

“Once those deliberations start, they take as long as they need to.” - Judge Kinch

Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder


typo there ........ reture probably means retire

 

[Websleuther08]

If we take into account that evidence could possibly come from a small child though, "the top part" of the bed doesnt neccesarily mean the head end, it could lierally just mean the top of the matress/sheet, there inst mention of any duvets or pillows so i think its hard to say difinitively either way. Moo

The statement said "the top end by the wardrobe" so I'd personally take that as the head end of the bed. I still can't see how it could be bodily fluids personally. They must have ran tests or smelt the bedding or I don't know but the forensics side of things in this case aren't good enough.

 

[Legally Bland]

So we haven't had evidence or a witness statement from ML, is that right?

 

[Spy Versus Spy]

11:41
The agreed facts
Bringing the evidence in the trial to a close, Judge Christopher Kinch laid out the agreed facts.

• On 27 June 2019, Ben Lacomba’s solicitors photograph the journey from Fawkham Road, Rogers Wood Lane and Billit Hill which Lacomba says he took to drive back from West Kingsdown to New Ash Green.These pictures are shown to the jury.
• There were messages recovered on Sarah’s white Samsung Galaxy phone that were “sexually explicit”
• 122 other Vauxhall Zafiras are registered in the three postcode areas around New Ash Green.
• 10 were the same model but none of those were registered as taxis

“My lord that closes the case of Ben Lacomba,” says defending Benjamin Newton.

Judge Kinch QC tells the Jury: “You have now heard the case from both sides and the evidence is now complete.”



Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder

Thanks Alyce.

What do we think, a short of long deliberation?


On the agreed facts, I wonder if any of the registered Vauxhall Zafiras had any other business useage or signage? Takeaway, builders etc. Im sure they would have brought it up.


Its the big lie for me, its obviously his car. Even saying the kid got the wrong night is more plausible. I feel if he had admitted to going out that night, insomnia, hungry etc and assumed SW was in incase the kids woke up, I think it would be a much harder decision for jury . Moo

 

[Spy Versus Spy]

So we haven't had evidence or a witness statement from ML, is that right?

We havent heard of one. There were a few reporting gaps early on iirc? Around the first few days?

 

[Alyce]

Hi Alyce, try this one.
Google Maps

If you look from Hilltop there's a small road heads down to London Road (A20) then look South West and you can see the transmitter - the silvery thing sticking up through the trees. I'll try and get a street view of the bridle path to show how close it is.....

Thank you - that looks very possible - this lane looks feasible


Google Maps

 

[Alyce]

I think - if the Jury get out by Tuesday afternoon - I would expect a verdict by Thursday - and if nothing at that time, then I would expect Judge to offer a majority ruling to try and get a verdict by Friday.