UK UK - Sarah Wellgreen, 46, Kent, 9 Oct 2018

[HayLouise]

15:04

Concern grows

Lacomba returned home on October 10 at 11.03am and parked behind Sarah’s car in car park 1 - “where he usually parks”.

At 11.32am, four hours after he woke up, he sends text to Sarah but precise contents of text is unknown. The jury were asked to question whether this was genuine.

As the day goes on, more members of Sarah’s family become concerned.

Her son Lewis Burdett could not reach her so he speaks with Neil James.

Lewis also called Lacomba but got no reply so he rang child’s phone who wakes Lacomba up.

Lacomba told Lewis that he last saw her on the Tuesday night between 9.30pm and 10pm.

They discussed the situation and agreed Lacomba would call the police on Thursday if she had not returned.

Lewis asked Lacomba to check the CCTV but he said: “I must have switched them off by accident because the plug socket to the CCTV is next to the socket where I charge my phone.”

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

 

[Noseyjosie]

IMO for all his "planning" he really doesn't sound like the brightest bauble on the tree does he

 

[HayLouise]

15:13

Missed child's birthday

Sarah’s family became increasingly concerned as the days went by, particularly on October 11, which was one of her children’s birthdays.

She said she would not have “abandoned her children on their birthday”.

On October 11, Lacomba called 999 at 9.55am.

Police officers attend shortly after 11am that day to take full missing person’s report.

Lacomba said he was home all night on October 9 and that Sarah “seemed her usual self and seemed happy, he didn’t notice anything different in her mood” before she went to bed between 8pm and 9pm.

He had Sarah Wellgreen’s iPhone and was trying to show PC Manley messages between her and Neil James on three separate occasions, mentioning other names: Joe Eleini and Anthony Garnham.

Sarah left behind an Apple iPhone 4 and an Alcatel - Lacomba was using this iPhone to try and show messages to officers.

But this iPhone has never been found because by 6.30pm, when officers attended again, Lacomba claimed the phone was not at the house.

Officers returned on October 12 to conduct a search. They knocked loudly and after 15 minutes, Lacomba opened the door and allowed them to search address while he watches.

He sets out history of his relationship with Sarah, claiming one of his kids had asked him “Is mummy a s****?”.

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

 

[HayLouise]

15:18

Missing phone

At 2.40pm on October 14, police attended the house again to obtain his phone to download data.

When asked to authorise the download of data, Lacomba said: “Why would I want you to have deleted stuff when I have deleted it for a reason?”

He initially agreed to letting them have his phone but as officers go to leave, he said he wants his phone back and tells them he will bring it to the station the following day. Police left the address at 8.50pm without the phone.

Around 40 minutes after the officers have left, Lacomba drove to Serenity Court by the river in Greenhithe.

CCTV captured him at 11.20pm in the torrential rain.

The prosection asked: “What was the defendant doing there?”

Lacomba returned to the house in Bazes Shaw at 12.06am.

A statement from his mum Marilyn Lacomba said that: “He gave his phone to police but after they’d gone, he was agitated and said he needed it for his work and also it had the nastiness on it that went on through the court case and it was private and that he didn’t want dragged back up again.

So he went out after the police - he was out about 20 minutes/half an hour. His coat was wet and he said he’d been walking about. He was really upset when he came back. I’m getting mixed up but I think he said he chucked his phone.”

They went to Bluewater the following day and he asked his mum to get £300 out from a cash point so he could buy a new phone.

Alison Morgan added: “The defendant was out in the middle of the night, getting soaking wet, desperately getting rid of something.”

Lacomba did not meet with police the following day as agreed and was uncontactable.

He bought a new phone, the exact same make and model as before (Samsung), but used a debit card to make the purchase.

Alison Morgan said: “The new phone was seized by police but his old phone has never been recovered.”

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

 

[Alyce]

Snipped ..........

15:13
He had Sarah Wellgreen’s iPhone and was trying to show PC Manley messages between her and Neil James on three separate occasions, mentioning other names: Joe Eleini and Anthony Garnham.
Sarah left behind an Apple iPhone 4 and an Alcatel - Lacomba was using this iPhone to try and show messages to officers. But this iPhone has never been found because by 6.30pm, when officers attended again, Lacomba claimed the phone was not at the house.

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

I cant quite work out what they are saying here.

BL is using SWs iphone, to show messages to police
Next line, this iphone has never been found

 

[HayLouise]

Snipped ..........



I cant quite work out what they are saying here.

BL is using SWs iphone, to show messages to police
Next line, this iphone has never been found

I think and this is just my interpretation - the police attended and he showed them the messages but police never took the phone, then when officers attended again he claimed the phone was not at the house..

So really they should have took it into evidence at the beginning/first visit..

 

[Legally Bland]

So he lost his phone and SW's phone in the space of a few hours?

 

[HayLouise]

15:46

Lacomba arrested and charged

On Tuesday October 16, director of All Night Taxis Nicholas Morris said Lacomba “had a panicky look on his face” when they spoke.

He then attends Dartford County Court at around 10am to sort out custody papers. “Are these the actions of someone who is concerned about the mother of his three children?”

One thing that is not seized, the prosecution believe because it was not there, is a grey and pink woman’s pyjama top in adult size large which reads “Happy bear” with a polar bear on it, rolled up on a shelf.

Alison Morgan said: “We suggest to you it was not there when searches were conducted on an earlier date. That top was wet to the touch to the point that the officers noticed it.”

Police were pictured searching Sarah Wellgreen's home after forcing entry (Image: Jim Bennett)
‘Nothing to suggest Sarah is alive’

Lacomba arrested at 1.55pm on October 16 but made no reply. Throughout the interviews, he answered no comment to all questions asked to him by police.

Alison Morgan added: “In short there is nothing to suggest that Sarah Wellgreen is still alive.

“If she walked out that day, she left behind her five children with no explanation whatsoever. She was happy and looking forward to a new chapter in her life.

“You may ask, well how can we be sure that she was murdered given that we don’t know how she died? The defendant has told very significant lies about his movement that night.

“The evidence shows a premeditated and calculated act carried out by someone to avoid detection. That level of calculation supports the obvious inference that Sarah was killed quite deliberately by this defendant.”

Lacomba charged with murder on December 20, 2018.

 

[HayLouise]

So he lost his phone and SW's phone in the space of a few hours?

October 11 shortly after 11am is when he first shows officers SW's phone, then later (Oct. 11) 6:30pm phone is gone.

October 14 he is on CCTV 11:20pm in torrential rain which is when he is believed to have gotten rid of his own phone.

 

[Legally Bland]

October 11 shortly after 11am is when he first shows officers SW's phone, then later (Oct. 11) 6:30pm phone is gone.

October 14 he is on CCTV 11:20pm in torrential rain which is when he is believed to have gotten rid of his own phone.

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[HayLouise]

15:57

Break

The court has taken a break.

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

 

[Alyce]

Ms Morgan said: 'The defendant claims he was asleep in bed. His own child says otherwise.'
The child, who cannot be identified, told police neither of their parents were in when they woke in middle of night.



Sarah Wellgreen got new job shortly before ex 'killed her and disposed of her body' | Daily Mail Online

 

[Alyce]

Wednesday October 2

Court 3 - sitting at 10:00 am

HIS HONOUR JUDGE C KINCH QC HONORARY RECORDER OF GREENWICH




For Trial
T20197107 LACOMBA Ben S 46XY0963118 NKENM CROWN COURT SOUTH UNIT
RES HHJ KINCH QC

 

[Skigh]

Thanks very much for all today's updates.

 

[Ironside]

Well I'm pretty convinced it was him already. The main thing that stands out for me is that he instantly got his mum to look after the kids at 7am despite not even trying to contact SW. He knew SW was not coming back.

I feel so very sad for her poor children. What an awful situation.

This guy is a total man-child. Tapping his mum for £300 for a phone and playing with toys guns constantly. .....

 

[deugirtni]

It would be interesting to know.. hopefully the prosecutor will put his mom on the stand to ask her - how many times has it happened while the two have been cohabitating, that Sarah has been absent first thing in the morning after disappearing sometime in the night, so that she had been unable to carry out her normal duties on her designated days for getting the children off to school. It seems like damning evidence for BL to have called his mom at that point without even trying to get in touch with S, but *if* this had been a regular occurrence, (which I doubt), they maybe not so damning. If it hadn't happened before, then all the more damning.

 

[deugirtni]

I am also confused about the seemingly contradictory reporting about the video camera which was controlled from within BL's bedroom. At one point it says he turned it off that night, but then it said something about it not having worked or been on for a year?? Or am I reading it wrong?

 

[deugirtni]

Surely if the prosecution had DNA evidence from within BL's vehicle, she would have said so in her opening remarks? If there *was no* DNA, then how could that be so? I mean like blood evidence, or proof of cadaver.. or proof that she'd been in the trunk or something.

 

[Ironside]

I am also confused about the seemingly contradictory reporting about the video camera which was controlled from within BL's bedroom. At one point it says he turned it off that night, but then it said something about it not having worked or been on for a year?? Or am I reading it wrong?

I think unknown to BL it wasn't actually recording properly for a year. He still switched it on and off though as he thought it was still working fine.

 

[deugirtni]

Interesting that BL had (twice) asked to see the neighbour's footage of their security video. Was he checking up to see if S was home at a certain time, or if someone else had come over, or what the cameras could see? Seems this could potentially make the difference between planned murder and sudden emotionally charged murder (first and second degree, if you have that distinction over there?).