UK UK - Sarah Wellgreen, 46, Kent, 9 Oct 2018
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I may well be wrong, but it's possible the kids may be giving evidence unfortunately.
___________________
Woolwich Crown Court 3 T20197107
Ben Sebastian Lacomba
Details: For Trial - Reporting Restrictions. For details please contact the Court Manager - 10:11
Woolwich Crown Court Listings, daily hearing case lists, records & status details
___________________
Woolwich Crown Court 3 T20197107
Ben Sebastian Lacomba
Details: For Trial - Reporting Restrictions. For details please contact the Court Manager - 10:11
Woolwich Crown Court Listings, daily hearing case lists, records & status details
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11:19
Trial opens
Good morning and welcome to our live updates.
Today is the first day of the trial of Ben Sebastian Lacomba, who is charged with murdering his ex-partner Sarah Wellgreen.
The jury pool of 16 are about to be sworn in now, with two on standby.
Lacomba is charged with one count of murder on the night of October 9/10 - for which he pleads not guilty.
Trial opens
Good morning and welcome to our live updates.
Today is the first day of the trial of Ben Sebastian Lacomba, who is charged with murdering his ex-partner Sarah Wellgreen.
The jury pool of 16 are about to be sworn in now, with two on standby.
Lacomba is charged with one count of murder on the night of October 9/10 - for which he pleads not guilty.
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11:22
The prosecution's opens - 'Sarah was murdered by Lacomba'
Prosecutor Alison Morgan QC told the court: “In the early hours of the morning of October 10, Sarah Jane Wellgreen went missing from her home in New Ash Green.”
She was “living a happy life with much to look forward to”.
“She was not abducted and murdered by a stranger. She did not leave her home voluntarily, abandoning her children, for whatever reason, never to return.
“She was murdered by this defendant, her former partner.
“He then disposed of her body. To date, despite extensive searches by the police, the precise details of what happened to Sarah are not known to anyone other than the defendant.”
Ms Morgan, who is joined by Mr Richardson and Mr Scully for the prosection, said Sarah was murdered in a “Calculated manner designed to avoid detection, to leave no trace, and to remove Sarah Wellgreen, who is the mother of his three children, from his life forever.
“Despite his best efforts, he did leave a trace.
“He left far more than a trace of evidence.”
The prosecution's opens - 'Sarah was murdered by Lacomba'
Prosecutor Alison Morgan QC told the court: “In the early hours of the morning of October 10, Sarah Jane Wellgreen went missing from her home in New Ash Green.”
She was “living a happy life with much to look forward to”.
“She was not abducted and murdered by a stranger. She did not leave her home voluntarily, abandoning her children, for whatever reason, never to return.
“She was murdered by this defendant, her former partner.
“He then disposed of her body. To date, despite extensive searches by the police, the precise details of what happened to Sarah are not known to anyone other than the defendant.”
Ms Morgan, who is joined by Mr Richardson and Mr Scully for the prosection, said Sarah was murdered in a “Calculated manner designed to avoid detection, to leave no trace, and to remove Sarah Wellgreen, who is the mother of his three children, from his life forever.
“Despite his best efforts, he did leave a trace.
“He left far more than a trace of evidence.”
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Am using the link that Legally provided yesterday for live updates from Kent Live
Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder
Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder
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I know it's necessary but it's so dreadful for them that they have to do that on top of everything else. This man obviously cares only for himself, no decent father could ever do what he has done - and to then put them through the additional trauma of having to testify..... It's just such a shi##y thing to do. IMO JMO etc
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Kent Live have posted up a handy timeline:
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The day of her death'
The prosecution told the court on October 9, the last day Sarah was seen alive, she took the children to school, acepted a new job and told her new employers she was “looking forward to working with them”.
The court then heard her known movements on the day she went missing. They outlined the following timeline:
The prosecution told the court on October 9, the last day Sarah was seen alive, she took the children to school, acepted a new job and told her new employers she was “looking forward to working with them”.
The court then heard her known movements on the day she went missing. They outlined the following timeline:
- 2.30pm - Ben Lacomba’s taxi was seen “clean with no mud visible” around Dartford. It is later spotted again at 4.20pm.
- 4pm - Sarah attended an address in Croydon to give an elderly lady a massage. Her client’s daughter Susan Birchill, said Sarah was in a “friendly and chatty” mood.
- 5.08pm - Lacomba arrived back at the home but CCTV showed him parking in a different car park (car park 2) from the one he was in (car park 1) at 9am. The court heard: “This was not the normal place for him to park. The prosecution alleges that the defendant’s decision to park in car park 2 was unusual but quite deliberate.”
Footage shows the top of his head visibile over the top of the fence on camera.
The court is told car park 1 is directly outside their home (number 22) whereas car park 2 is to the right of number 23.
Ms Morgan said: “If you park in car park 1, you will be captured on CCTV. If you park in car park 2 and choose to duck down beneath the height of the fence, you won’t be seen.” - 5.30pm - Sarah left the clients house and headed to her last client of the day, Anthony Garnham in Chislehurst, who gave her a bike for one of her children.
- 7.57pm - Sarah returned home and parked in car park 1, among other empty spaces. She headed to her bedroom after the children had gone to bed. The court heard Sarah was active on her phone - messages and calls with others appear to show Sarah and Lacomba “discussed her new job and the consequences of the defendant’s position”.
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Text messages
In a series of texts sent that evening Sarah told Anthony Garnham: “I’m always here for you”.
When Neil James asked if she was excited for new job, she replied: “No not excited. Just feel that a whole weight has been lifted and then that fat twat says ‘oh you won’t be able to get benefits for the kids’.”
Sarah said: “He has been very quiet since I have got back. Hmmm, the truth hurts.”
Adds: “Just want the house to myself now”.
Her text message to Joe Eleini at 9.59pm is one of her last messages.
It read: “There is always something to look foward to, you just need to open your eyes a bit more and dream.”
Alison Morgan, prosecuting, said: “Her words suggested that she was optimistic and encouraging others to be as well.”
BIB is mine - interesting that there were further messages after her chat with NJ
In a series of texts sent that evening Sarah told Anthony Garnham: “I’m always here for you”.
When Neil James asked if she was excited for new job, she replied: “No not excited. Just feel that a whole weight has been lifted and then that fat twat says ‘oh you won’t be able to get benefits for the kids’.”
Sarah said: “He has been very quiet since I have got back. Hmmm, the truth hurts.”
Adds: “Just want the house to myself now”.
Her text message to Joe Eleini at 9.59pm is one of her last messages.
It read: “There is always something to look foward to, you just need to open your eyes a bit more and dream.”
Alison Morgan, prosecuting, said: “Her words suggested that she was optimistic and encouraging others to be as well.”
BIB is mine - interesting that there were further messages after her chat with NJ
1 October 2019
Beautician mother-of-five Sarah Wellgreen, 46, got new job and told friend 'there is always something to look forward to' shortly before ex 'killed her and disposed of her body'
A mother-of-five had got a new job and told a friend 'there is always something to look forward to' the day before she was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend, a court has heard.
Beautician Sarah Wellgreen, 46, was in the process of buying her ex, Ben Lacomba, out of their shared home in New Ash Green, Kent when she was killed, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
Taxi driver Lacomba, 39, denies murdering Ms Wellgreen, whose body has never been found.
[...]
Sarah Wellgreen got new job shortly before ex 'killed her and disposed of her body' | Daily Mail Online
Beautician mother-of-five Sarah Wellgreen, 46, got new job and told friend 'there is always something to look forward to' shortly before ex 'killed her and disposed of her body'
A mother-of-five had got a new job and told a friend 'there is always something to look forward to' the day before she was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend, a court has heard.
Beautician Sarah Wellgreen, 46, was in the process of buying her ex, Ben Lacomba, out of their shared home in New Ash Green, Kent when she was killed, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
Taxi driver Lacomba, 39, denies murdering Ms Wellgreen, whose body has never been found.
[...]
Sarah Wellgreen got new job shortly before ex 'killed her and disposed of her body' | Daily Mail Online
More:
'The prosecution alleges that what he left behind provides a compelling picture from which you can be sure that he alone is responsible for Sarah Wellgreen's murder and disappearance.'
Sarah Wellgreen got new job shortly before ex 'killed her and disposed of her body' | Daily Mail Online
'The prosecution alleges that what he left behind provides a compelling picture from which you can be sure that he alone is responsible for Sarah Wellgreen's murder and disappearance.'
Sarah Wellgreen got new job shortly before ex 'killed her and disposed of her body' | Daily Mail Online
Thanks, this seems to be showing me things the previous link was not. It says (just for reference):
Woolwich Crown Court 3 T20197107
ben sebastian lacomba
Details: For Trial - Reporting Restrictions. For details please contact the Court Manager - 10:11
For Trial - Jury Sworn In - 10:42
For Trial - Prosecution Opening - 11:00
For Trial - Case adjourned until 14:05 - 13:00
Sorry, just catching up..
But might the restrictions simply be things such as perhaps, 'no reporting of any of the minors' names' (ie both Sarah and Neil's children if mentioned during testimony, etc)?
13:23
Car parks, CCTV and neighbours - the prosecution evidence
Alison Morgan, prosecuting said Sarah’s telephone, wallet and keys were left at the house.
She said it is: “Likely if not inevitable that she was killed within the address.”
She prosecution said where he parked is car was noted as “strange” by a neighbour, as he usually parks in car park 1.
The CCTV at their next door neighbours (number 23) would have shown anyone exiting their house’s front door to car park 1, where her car is parked, but no one does that night.
In the summer of 2018, Lacomba visited Jay Ellis at 23 Bazes Shaw and asks to see the camera coverage of his CCTV system.
Mr Ellis let him but the court heard the defendant gave no reason for doing so. He had made a similar request before.
The prosecution said parking in car park 2 - where Lacomba parked - avoids this coverage if you keep your head below the fence at rear of 23 Bazes Shaw.
Adrian Sherman of 21 Bazes Shaw woke up at 4am on October 10 and noticed Sarah’s car is still there but Lacomba’s red Vauxhall Zafira taxi is not parked in Car Park 1.
Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder
Car parks, CCTV and neighbours - the prosecution evidence
Alison Morgan, prosecuting said Sarah’s telephone, wallet and keys were left at the house.
She said it is: “Likely if not inevitable that she was killed within the address.”
She prosecution said where he parked is car was noted as “strange” by a neighbour, as he usually parks in car park 1.
The CCTV at their next door neighbours (number 23) would have shown anyone exiting their house’s front door to car park 1, where her car is parked, but no one does that night.
In the summer of 2018, Lacomba visited Jay Ellis at 23 Bazes Shaw and asks to see the camera coverage of his CCTV system.
Mr Ellis let him but the court heard the defendant gave no reason for doing so. He had made a similar request before.
The prosecution said parking in car park 2 - where Lacomba parked - avoids this coverage if you keep your head below the fence at rear of 23 Bazes Shaw.
Adrian Sherman of 21 Bazes Shaw woke up at 4am on October 10 and noticed Sarah’s car is still there but Lacomba’s red Vauxhall Zafira taxi is not parked in Car Park 1.
Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder
13:46
CCTV evidence
CCTV is discussed at length in court.
The court heard Sarah and Lacomba’s CCTV was controlled by Lacomba in his bedroom in the loft. It was not recording in October 2018 and had not been recording for a year due to a problem with the hard drive.
Alison Morgan said: “If it had been recording, it would have captured everything. It must have been a concern in his mind because of what he did that night. The only way to ensure that nothing would be recorded on the system was to switch it off. And that is precisely what the prosecution alleges he did that night.”
The court also head CCTV cameras at 23 Bazes Shaw picked up the infrared light, which is emitted when the 22 Bazes Shaw cameras are switched on.
The 22 Bazes shaw cameras are switched off at 00.12am from Lacomba’s bedroom. It wasn’t the first time they had been swtiched off - CCTV cameras were turned on and off regularly in the run up to that night.
Alison Morgan said: “Was the defendant thinking about what he might do before the 9th and 10th of October? Practicing what he might do? The only plausible explanation is the defendant knew exactly how he would do it without being captured on CCTV and took deliberate steps to move Sarah - likely dead by now - out of the address and into his car avoiding being captured on CCTV/”
Cameras on houses on the road out of Bazes Shaw showed a vehicle alleged to be the defendant’s driving down on October 10 between 2.13am.
The car was capture on camera at Orchard House and Longview on Hartley Hill at 2.20am.
It was also captured on camera at Hillview on Hartley Bottom Road, Berry’s Maple and Holland’s Farm.
All the places the vehicle was caught on CCTV
Alison Morgan said: “A trace the defendant never could have expected to leave behind.”
The CCTV footage captured at 4.20am at Littlefield’s shows the Vauxhall Zafira with writing on front driver’s door. Lacomba drives Vauxhall Zafira with All Night Taxi’s written on it.
The vehicle is not seen for 1 hour 59 minutes until an identical vehicle comes back on the same route
Alison Morgan said: “We suggest he has gone somewhere that we have not been able to identify and that is why Sarah’s body has never been found.”
Experts in imagery analysis concluded that it was the same make and model as Lacomba’s car and the light tones on the front door corresponds with writing on defendant’s vehicle, further supported by police reconstruction driving Lacomba’s taxi past the same camera at the same time.
Alison Morgan said: “The defendant says he was asleep in bed all night.”
Flashes of reflected light consistent with locking a car is seen in the front windows of 32 Bazes Shaw opposite car park 2 at 4.52am.
Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder
CCTV evidence
CCTV is discussed at length in court.
The court heard Sarah and Lacomba’s CCTV was controlled by Lacomba in his bedroom in the loft. It was not recording in October 2018 and had not been recording for a year due to a problem with the hard drive.
Alison Morgan said: “If it had been recording, it would have captured everything. It must have been a concern in his mind because of what he did that night. The only way to ensure that nothing would be recorded on the system was to switch it off. And that is precisely what the prosecution alleges he did that night.”
The court also head CCTV cameras at 23 Bazes Shaw picked up the infrared light, which is emitted when the 22 Bazes Shaw cameras are switched on.
The 22 Bazes shaw cameras are switched off at 00.12am from Lacomba’s bedroom. It wasn’t the first time they had been swtiched off - CCTV cameras were turned on and off regularly in the run up to that night.
Alison Morgan said: “Was the defendant thinking about what he might do before the 9th and 10th of October? Practicing what he might do? The only plausible explanation is the defendant knew exactly how he would do it without being captured on CCTV and took deliberate steps to move Sarah - likely dead by now - out of the address and into his car avoiding being captured on CCTV/”
Cameras on houses on the road out of Bazes Shaw showed a vehicle alleged to be the defendant’s driving down on October 10 between 2.13am.
The car was capture on camera at Orchard House and Longview on Hartley Hill at 2.20am.
It was also captured on camera at Hillview on Hartley Bottom Road, Berry’s Maple and Holland’s Farm.
All the places the vehicle was caught on CCTV
Alison Morgan said: “A trace the defendant never could have expected to leave behind.”
The CCTV footage captured at 4.20am at Littlefield’s shows the Vauxhall Zafira with writing on front driver’s door. Lacomba drives Vauxhall Zafira with All Night Taxi’s written on it.
The vehicle is not seen for 1 hour 59 minutes until an identical vehicle comes back on the same route
Alison Morgan said: “We suggest he has gone somewhere that we have not been able to identify and that is why Sarah’s body has never been found.”
Experts in imagery analysis concluded that it was the same make and model as Lacomba’s car and the light tones on the front door corresponds with writing on defendant’s vehicle, further supported by police reconstruction driving Lacomba’s taxi past the same camera at the same time.
Alison Morgan said: “The defendant says he was asleep in bed all night.”
Flashes of reflected light consistent with locking a car is seen in the front windows of 32 Bazes Shaw opposite car park 2 at 4.52am.
Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder
14:53
The morning after Sarah disappeared
Lacomba told police he was in his bed asleep all night. He said he woke up at 7am to find Sarah was not in her bedroom.
The prosecution said that instead of contacting Sarah immediately by phone to work out childcare, he did not actually try to contact her until 11.32am when he text her.
Instead he called his mum Marilyn Lacomba “knowing that Sarah Wellgreen couldn’t possibly care for the children” at 7.18am.
Marilyn arrived at the home half an hour later and explained Sarah “wasn’t there and he didn’t know where she was”.
‘Dirty car’
Lacomba then left at 8.19am for the school run and CCTV “importantly shows” his taxi to be dirty, despite being clean an hour before he got home the previous evening.
Alison Morgan told jurors: “There is obvious mud on that vehicle. Where was it the car went overnight to get mud on it in that way?”
Ms Morgan told the court the rear garden consists of artificial grass, paving stones and a few flower beds. The front garden has a small patch of grass and flower beds.
She added: “There is no large area of soil or dirt to dig up. This simply isn’t this kind of area.”
Yet when police searched the shed, there was a motorbike among items, but also a “large shovel that looked new”.
Ms Morgan raised an approximately six-foot shovel above her head to show jurors its size and asked them to think about what use it would have in this garden.
Dirt found on the shovel “was not inconsistent with the common ground around Bazes Shaw”, she said.
The court then head Lacomba got his taxi cleaned of “potentially incriminating mud” between 10am and 10.30am on October 10.
At 10.31am the vehicle is seen outside the taxi office in Hythe Street, Dartford freshly cleaned.
Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder
The morning after Sarah disappeared
Lacomba told police he was in his bed asleep all night. He said he woke up at 7am to find Sarah was not in her bedroom.
The prosecution said that instead of contacting Sarah immediately by phone to work out childcare, he did not actually try to contact her until 11.32am when he text her.
Instead he called his mum Marilyn Lacomba “knowing that Sarah Wellgreen couldn’t possibly care for the children” at 7.18am.
Marilyn arrived at the home half an hour later and explained Sarah “wasn’t there and he didn’t know where she was”.
‘Dirty car’
Lacomba then left at 8.19am for the school run and CCTV “importantly shows” his taxi to be dirty, despite being clean an hour before he got home the previous evening.
Alison Morgan told jurors: “There is obvious mud on that vehicle. Where was it the car went overnight to get mud on it in that way?”
Ms Morgan told the court the rear garden consists of artificial grass, paving stones and a few flower beds. The front garden has a small patch of grass and flower beds.
She added: “There is no large area of soil or dirt to dig up. This simply isn’t this kind of area.”
Yet when police searched the shed, there was a motorbike among items, but also a “large shovel that looked new”.
Ms Morgan raised an approximately six-foot shovel above her head to show jurors its size and asked them to think about what use it would have in this garden.
Dirt found on the shovel “was not inconsistent with the common ground around Bazes Shaw”, she said.
The court then head Lacomba got his taxi cleaned of “potentially incriminating mud” between 10am and 10.30am on October 10.
At 10.31am the vehicle is seen outside the taxi office in Hythe Street, Dartford freshly cleaned.
Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder
14:56
New shoes
Ben Lacomba's taxi was seen outside the taxi office in Hythe Street, Dartford freshly cleaned
Footage from inside the taxi office shows Lacomba wearing “new and distinctive shoes”.
His colleague Charlie Carter described them as “horrible pointy shoes, they looked diabolical as they did not match his other clothes”.
Lacomba says he lost the brown pair he usually wore.
Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder
New shoes
Ben Lacomba's taxi was seen outside the taxi office in Hythe Street, Dartford freshly cleaned
Footage from inside the taxi office shows Lacomba wearing “new and distinctive shoes”.
His colleague Charlie Carter described them as “horrible pointy shoes, they looked diabolical as they did not match his other clothes”.
Lacomba says he lost the brown pair he usually wore.
Live updates as Sarah Wellgreen's ex-partner goes on trial accused of her murder
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