Hunt for Justice: Unraveling the Sarah Wellgreen Devastating Crime
Hunt for Justice: Unraveling the Sarah Wellgreen Devastating Crime
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00:00 Kent, in the UK, is home to New Ash Green.
00:29 The post-war development harbours a strong feeling of community and a sense of belonging.
00:34 One of the residents was 46-year-old Sarah Wellgreen.
00:38 Sarah enjoyed a close relationship with her family and they would regularly meet up for
00:42 lunch, shopping and go on holiday together.
00:47 Her mother Anne said she cared deeply for other people and would always 'stick up for
00:51 the underdog'.
00:53 Sarah was a devoted mother to her five children who were the centre of her world.
00:58 She would go all out for birthdays and other holidays.
01:01 She had two sons, Jack and Lewis, from a previous relationship, and three children with her
01:06 partner, 39-year-old Ben LaComba.
01:11 She worked hard as a beautician and would work on evenings and weekends alongside bringing
01:15 up her children.
01:17 Her partner Ben LaComba had been born in Greenwich and in the early 2000s he moved to Majorca
01:22 with dreams of becoming a pilot.
01:26 The pair had met in December 2004 on a dating website.
01:30 He made a good impression with Sarah's two sons and Sarah decided to leave her job and
01:34 she and her two boys would move to Majorca to start afresh with Ben.
01:38 But the happiness didn't last long.
01:40 Due to her being unable to speak Spanish, she couldn't find a job and this coupled
01:45 with her homesickness made it very difficult for Sarah.
01:48 Ben also wasn't able to become a pilot so instead worked at the airport.
01:53 They subsequently decided to move back to the UK, having already welcomed their first
01:57 child.
01:59 After settling into a new four bedroom home, 22 bays ashore in New Ash Green, Ben began
02:04 working as a taxi driver and Sarah would work as a beauty therapist.
02:08 But the issues in the relationship began to show with the pair arguing often.
02:15 Sarah eventually decided to call time on the relationship and in response, Ben threw her
02:20 and her two sons out, whilst keeping the three children they had together with him.
02:25 Ben had arranged a court hearing for the very next morning, in which he said Sarah had abandoned
02:30 her children and consequently he was awarded custody.
02:34 Sarah was unable to defend herself as she was unaware as to what was happening.
02:38 Sarah was devastated.
02:40 She and her eldest two children went to live with her mother and stepfather.
02:44 The family saved every penny so they could be able to go and see a solicitor for legal
02:47 advice.
02:49 And in August 2016, she would be awarded full custody of the children.
02:55 It was also around this time that her personal life began to move in a more positive direction
02:59 when she met Neil James.
03:02 Sarah met Neil on a dating app in 2016 and their relationship would go from strength
03:06 to strength, culminating in an engagement.
03:10 But Sarah was worried that if she tried to move in with Neil, Ben would battle her for
03:15 custody.
03:16 In 2018, she offered Ben the opportunity for them to live in the house together and
03:21 co-parent their children, despite their romantic relationship coming to an end - something
03:27 her family had begged her not to do.
03:30 This wasn't by any means an ideal solution, as emotions between them were still running
03:34 high, so Sarah decided to try and buy Ben's share of the house from him.
03:39 Sarah had taken her children to school in the morning before heading to work to see
03:43 her clients.
03:45 She was also incredibly excited and happy, as she had been able to secure a new, higher
03:50 paying job.
03:51 At around 8pm, Sarah was seen coming home and heading inside.
04:07 She sent several text messages, including to Neil.
04:11 One message to a friend read, "There's always something to look forward to, you've
04:15 just got to open your eyes and dream."
04:17 The last text message was sent at 10pm, before she headed to bed.
04:22 The next day was an incredibly special one, as it was one of her children's birthdays,
04:27 and like always, she had planned for it.
04:30 As the morning rolled around, Neil was in a state of deep depression.
04:34 He was in a state of deep depression, and he was in a state of deep depression.
04:37 He was in a state of deep depression, and he was in a state of deep depression.
04:40 As the hours continued to tick by, Sarah still hadn't responded.
04:44 Neil decided to reach out to Ben to see if he had seen her.
04:48 Ben replied saying he thought Sarah was with him, as he hadn't seen her either.
04:54 Neil called Sarah's family and explained that he had been trying to get hold of Sarah
04:58 since the morning, but hadn't been able to make contact with her.
05:02 Sarah could sometimes forget to charge her phone, or accidentally leave it in the car,
05:07 so her mother decided to call her too.
05:09 But, like Neil, she couldn't get hold of her.
05:13 One of Sarah's sons used text messages, social media, and calling her work phone,
05:22 to try and get a response.
05:25 But there was still nothing from Sarah.
05:28 By the next day, she still hadn't come home.
05:32 Her mother kept trying to get hold of her, but as Sarah continued to not respond,
05:37 her mother knew something was seriously wrong.
05:39 Everyone was becoming extremely concerned for her.
05:42 They agreed that if by the next day she hadn't made contact with anyone or come home,
05:47 they would call the police.
05:53 It had now been 48 hours since Sarah Wellgreen had been seen,
05:58 and she still had not been in contact with anyone.
06:01 Ben contacted the police.
06:04 [Police radio chatter]
06:08 [Police radio chatter]
06:12 [Police radio chatter]
06:15 [Police radio chatter]
06:22 [Police radio chatter]
06:29 [Police radio chatter]
06:35 [Police radio chatter]
06:38 DCI Ivan Beasley, senior investigating officer with Kent Police,
06:59 was assigned to investigate her disappearance.
07:01 Ben told the officers that after Sarah had arrived home on the 9th,
07:05 he had put the children to bed and gone into his room,
07:08 which was the loft conversion one,
07:10 and she had gone to her room on the first floor.
07:13 He explained that when he had woken up the next morning,
07:15 Sarah wasn't home, but the car was still parked in its spot.
07:20 As it was one of her children's birthdays, he said he had expected her to come home.
07:26 A missing persons investigation was quickly underway,
07:29 and a search of her bedroom was conducted.
07:31 One thing immediately stood out.
07:33 All of Sarah's personal effects were still there,
07:37 including her money, bank cards, keys, and handbag.
07:42 These were not things Sarah would have left without.
07:45 For DCI Ivan Beasley, this was extremely concerning.
07:50 As she had left her car keys at the house,
07:52 one theory that was considered was that maybe she had gone out for a run or walk
07:57 and become injured and unable to get help.
08:00 A five-mile search radius was set up around Sarah's home,
08:04 going through fields and woodlands to try and find her,
08:07 even checking hospitals to see if she had been admitted to any of them.
08:12 In spite of all this, and after an extensive search,
08:15 there was still no sign of Sarah.
08:18 There were no phone records to indicate that she had agreed to meet up with anyone that night.
08:23 DCI Ivan Beasley noted Ben LaComba's demeanour.
08:27 He said,
08:29 He also said that officers discovered that Sarah's family
08:50 had had to pressure Ben into contacting the police in the first place.
08:56 Sarah's son utilised social media,
08:58 and the close-knit community immediately came together to look for her.
09:02 Hundreds of people from the local area came in to help.
09:05 One of the volunteers, Sharon Brine, noted Ben LaComba's behaviour.
09:10 She said,
09:12 There's half the village looking for the mother of his children,
09:15 and he's trying to arrange a kids' game in the village.
09:19 Sarah's oldest two children attempted to visit their siblings,
09:22 but were told they weren't allowed.
09:24 LaComba had taken the three youngest to his aunt's house,
09:27 and he had also started court proceedings to gain custody of them.
09:31 The three children were later found dead in a nearby cemetery.
09:35 Ben LaComba's son, Ben LaComba,
09:37 had also started court proceedings to gain custody of them.
09:41 DCI Beasley said,
09:43 In order to generate any leads,
09:54 the police issued a press appeal to get information about Sarah out to the public.
09:59 But as the days continued to pass,
10:01 Sarah Wellgreen still hadn't been found.
10:04 Concerns continued to escalate that she may have been met with foul play.
10:08 Detective Superintendent Paul Fotheringham said,
10:13 Police went back to speak with Ben again
10:23 to try and gain a better understanding of the dynamics
10:26 and ins and outs of the family home.
10:28 He told them that Sarah would often go missing,
10:30 disappearing without telling anyone, to go and meet other people.
10:34 The police went to Neil's house to search the property
10:37 and ask him further questions,
10:39 as he was one of the last people she had had contact with.
10:42 He explained that he had called her at 9.24 on the night she had last been seen.
10:46 They spoke for around 15 minutes
10:48 and then sent a few text messages back and forth
10:51 before they said goodnight.
10:53 Phone records showed that this was true,
10:55 and as he was at home with his daughter at the time,
10:57 he told the police to check the M25 cameras
11:00 to prove he hadn't driven to Sarah's.
11:02 His story checked out, and Neil was in the clear.
11:06 It had now been a week since Sarah Wellgreen had seemingly vanished,
11:12 and police decided to check the local cameras,
11:15 and more than 15,000 hours of footage would be searched.
11:18 At around 2am on the 10th of October,
11:22 the same time Sarah went missing,
11:24 CCTV cameras picked up a car driving around.
11:28 One of the images picked up on camera
11:44 showed the vehicle with a logo on the driver's side door.
11:47 Why did this pique the interest of investigators?
11:51 Because it was similar to the vehicle driven by Ben LaComba.
11:55 A red taxi with a logo on the driver's side door.
11:59 But the police had to be sure.
12:02 They brought in an expert to compare his vehicle
12:05 to the grainy one on the footage.
12:07 The expert determined that the footage did show Ben's vehicle.
12:11 Around two hours after it had first been captured on CCTV,
12:16 the same vehicle was seen coming back.
12:19 [Crickets chirping]
12:22 This appeared to contradict his attitations
12:27 that he had been at home in bed when Sarah had gone missing.
12:31 The home had an extensive CCTV system
12:38 which was operated from Ben's bedroom,
12:41 so he could see the goings-on throughout the house.
12:44 DCI Beasley said,
12:47 "It was quite an elaborate set-up.
12:49 He had cameras at the side, at the front,
12:52 and at the back of his house,
12:54 all controlled by an assistant which was kept in his bedroom,
12:58 which was in the converted attic part of the house."
13:01 They checked the footage from the day Sarah had vanished.
13:06 Ben was seen coming home,
13:08 and nobody else was seen entering the property
13:10 before Sarah came back.
13:12 It wasn't just their home that had security cameras.
13:16 Their neighbour's home did too.
13:18 The neighbour's home had three months' worth of footage to watch.
13:22 They could see that the CCTV camera from Ben and Sarah's home
13:26 had been on almost constantly
13:28 in the time leading up to Sarah going missing.
13:31 The footage from the neighbour's house
13:33 showed the infrared lights coming from Ben's cameras,
13:36 and also showed that after midnight,
13:38 on the day she had last been seen,
13:40 Ben's cameras had been switched off.
13:45 Ben said the files from the cameras at his house
13:47 weren't usable as they had been corrupted,
13:50 and that the complex system in place
13:52 actually hadn't been working for the past year.
13:55 Another piece of footage that stood out to investigators
13:59 showed him coming home.
14:01 In the footage, his vehicle was clean.
14:04 After taking the children to school the next day,
14:12 the car was caught on CCTV again,
14:14 and this time, there was mud and dirt on the sides and wheels.
14:18 At around 10.30, he went to the office
14:21 where his taxi company operated.
14:23 When the car pulls in, the dirt is gone.
14:26 Another element that stood out
14:28 was after watching the neighbour's camera,
14:30 the police learned that he would always park his car
14:33 in the same spot until the night Sarah had gone missing.
14:37 That night, he parked it at the back of the property,
14:40 somewhere not covered by the neighbour's CCTV.
14:44 Officers, forward!
14:45 As detectives searched Woodland, near the 46-year-old's home,
14:49 today, police said her disappearance
14:51 had turned into a potential murder investigation.
14:54 She'd just had a new job offer that she was looking forward to.
14:57 She'd talked to friends about looking forward to the future,
15:00 but also significantly, she's now missed one of her child's birthdays.
15:04 We've, following extensive investigations and inquiries
15:09 and also searching, we're now treating this
15:12 as a potential homicide investigation.
15:15 The task in front of the officers was huge.
15:19 They didn't know where Ben had driven to that night
15:22 and what he had done in the two-hour window,
15:25 and Sarah still hadn't been found.
15:27 The police believe that he had murdered Sarah
15:30 and then driven her body to a deposition site.
15:32 Your arrest is necessary to allow you to be questioned further, please.
15:36 Do you understand?
15:39 Do you understand that?
15:41 OK, do not say anything that might harm your conviction,
15:43 make sure you're questioned in court,
15:45 and you can reduce any negative evidence.
15:47 On 20th December, the decision was made to arrest Ben Lecombe
15:51 on suspicion of the murder of Sarah Wellgreen.
15:54 He was then taken to the station to be questioned.
15:58 [Music]
16:01 So, you are under arrest today
16:13 on suspicion of the murder of your ex-partner,
16:18 and I understand, current, you still live in the same address,
16:23 that's Sarah Wellgreen.
16:25 When we're talking, I would like you to give
16:28 as much detail as you can in your answers
16:31 so that we can really understand what it is that you are saying,
16:36 and so that anybody else listening to this interview in the future
16:39 can really understand what it is that you're saying
16:42 and we can do justice to what you're telling us.
16:45 Now, as I say, you're here on suspicion of murdering her.
16:50 We believe she may be dead, and that may be at your hand.
16:54 So, did you kill her?
16:57 So, I'm not clear at the moment, Ben,
17:15 whether you're just trying to think of an answer
17:17 or whether you've decided not to answer the question.
17:21 [Music]
17:24 Over the next seven hours, he was interviewed by investigators.
17:29 LaCombe was silent and refused to answer any question put to him.
17:34 During a search of the house, a shovel was found in the garden shed
17:40 that appeared to be brand new.
17:43 They needed to find Sarah, ascertain the cause of death,
17:47 and prove that this had been done deliberately by Ben LaCombe.
17:52 Specialists from the fire service and marine units from all over the country
17:56 were drafted into the extensive searches to try and find her,
18:01 including part of the Thames and land near the Bluewater Shopping Centre.
18:06 So, Joe, what's the latest from today?
18:09 Yeah, thanks, Andy. Well, the latest today is that dozens of police officers
18:14 have been searching this area here in Mounts Road in Greenhive,
18:18 just a couple of minutes from Bluewater, as you just said.
18:21 Now, you might be unable to see, but the officers were searching this woodland area behind me
18:25 to look for any more clues into her disappearance,
18:28 and they were also searching, as you said, near the Bluewater Shopping Centre
18:31 in the surrounding areas there.
18:33 Roads were closed off while searches were conducted,
18:36 and 1,400 sites were searched, but none led to Sarah's body.
18:42 In spite of this, and on the basis of the case that had been built,
18:45 on 28 December 2018, Ben LaCombe was charged with the murder of Sarah Wellgreen.
18:52 At Woolwich Crown Court, the trial of Ben LaCombe would begin.
19:01 Prosecutor Alex Morgan QC would say in a documentary about the case,
19:05 "Having a trial with no body presents unique challenges."
19:09 One of the key moments for the prosecution was revealing a conversation
19:13 that Ben had had with police several days before his arrest.
19:16 They had requested his phone.
19:18 He signed the consent form, but then refused to give consent for deleted data to be retrieved.
19:23 He told them that he would give it to them the next day at the station,
19:26 because it was late and he wanted to go to bed.
19:29 But CCTV revealed that Ben hadn't gone to bed.
19:32 His car was spotted parked by the River Thames late at night,
19:36 trying to get rid of something.
19:38 Something police believe was his mobile phone.
19:41 Following Sarah going missing, LaCombe was captured on a CCTV camera in a shop,
19:46 buying a new phone in the exact same make that he put his old SIM card into.
19:52 DCI Beasley said,
20:06 Another element of the case that they argued was evidence of planning
20:10 was the hours in between him leaving the address and coming home,
20:14 indicating he had already chosen the deposition site for Sarah's body.
20:19 When it came to the shovel that had been found during the search,
20:22 the defence argued that it was there for his mother,
20:25 so she could look after the flowers that were in front of the house.
20:28 But the flowers at the home did not require such a big shovel,
20:32 adding to the theory that it had been potentially used to dig a grave.
20:37 Alison Morgan QC from the prosecution said that the idea he had bought
20:42 what she referred to as a 'grave digger shovel' as a present for his mother
20:46 was 'complete nonsense'.
20:48 Over the course of the trial, more information would be revealed
20:51 that painted a clearer picture of Ben and Sarah's relationship.
20:55 When she arrived home from work on the 9th of October,
20:58 she told Ben that she was planning to buy his share of the house
21:01 as her new job would leave her in a financial situation where that was feasible.
21:05 This meant that in more ways than one, Ben LaCombe was losing control,
21:10 and if she were to leave him for good and sell the house,
21:13 he would have been left with virtually nothing.
21:16 The judge, jury, council, court clerk and ushers were given a police escort
21:21 to the family home to help them contextualise the evidence
21:25 and see the inner workings of the home, including the intricate CCTV system.
21:31 Defence Barrister Rebecca Trowler QC concluded their case by saying,
21:39 "What I ask of you is a lot less than what the prosecution ask.
21:43 They are asking you to convict a 39-year-old man with no criminal convictions,
21:47 not even cautions, of the carefully planned murder of the mother of his children.
21:52 That is a big ask."
21:55 After 30 days of the trial, it was time for the jury to deliberate.
22:00 They would soon return their verdict.
22:03 On the 28th of October 2019, Ben LaCombe was found guilty of the murder of Sarah Wellgreen.
22:11 He received life in prison with a minimum term of 27 years.
22:15 Today, outside court, there were embraces.
22:21 Her mother in the brown coat here had just heard that her killer would not be released for decades.
22:28 Ben LaCombe showed no remorse or an ounce of emotion
22:32 as he was sentenced to life in prison today for the murder of his ex-partner, Sarah Wellgreen.
22:38 He will serve a minimum of 27 years behind bars for killing the mum of five
22:43 at the home they shared in New Ashgreen
22:46 and won't be released until he's at least 66 years old.
22:50 After the trial, her eldest son, Lewis, speaking on behalf of the family,
22:54 said he hopes he's never released until he admits where her body is.
22:58 "Today, as far as the law is concerned, justice has been served for Sarah.
23:02 We hope he will never be released unless he admits his guilt and reveals the location of her grave.
23:08 To date, he has shown no remorse or care for either Sarah or his own children.
23:14 Because Ben LaCombe has refused to reveal the location of Sarah's body,
23:18 we, her family, have been unable to mourn Sarah's passing or lay her to rest in peace."
23:23 He has never revealed what happened to Sarah or where she is.
23:28 Should he continue to refuse to divulge any information,
23:31 it could mean he remains in prison for a longer time, under Helen's Law.
23:36 Helen's Law, named after murder victim Helen McCourt,
23:39 makes killers ineligible for parole if they do not tell police where they've hidden the body of a victim.
23:44 This followed the tireless campaigning of Marie McCourt, mother of Helen,
23:48 a 22-year-old insurance clerk who was murdered in 1988.
23:53 Her murderer Ian Sims has never revealed her body's location.
23:57 The petition calling for Helen's Law had gained more than 600,000 signatures
24:02 and high-level government support.
24:05 In November 2020, Helen's Law received royal assent.
24:09 Under the law, killers could still be released if no longer deemed a risk to the public,
24:13 even if they refuse to disclose information,
24:16 but the parole board will be legally required to consider whether they have cooperated with inquiries as part of their assessment.
24:23 One of Sarah's elder sons said,
24:26 "There's still that missing piece, and it will always be like that,
24:30 because there'll always be that missing piece because of what he has done.
24:33 I believe he's withholding that because that's the only sort of power he has left."
24:38 Sarah's ex-husband also spoke about him wanting her body to be found.
24:43 Sarah was very bubbly, outgoing,
24:47 and she obviously knew what she wanted in life,
24:51 and she would do anything to achieve that,
24:55 and I think she would have achieved it if she was still here.
24:58 When I heard that she had gone missing,
25:01 at first I thought maybe she'd turn up, but she didn't,
25:06 and it's very sad.
25:08 I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
25:11 If they can find the body, it would give closure to the family and myself,
25:16 because I was still friends with Sarah.
25:19 In the year that followed her disappearance,
25:25 nearly 3,000 potential deposition sites have been identified,
25:29 but none have led to Sarah.
25:31 The community in New Ash Green has never given up on their search for Sarah Wellgreen.
25:36 They have said they will never stop their search for her,
25:39 and a Facebook page called Search for Sarah Wellgreen was set up too.
25:43 For those who knew and loved Sarah,
25:47 the agony of not knowing where she is and what happened to her is devastating.
25:52 It is the hope of Sarah's family that he will one day reveal her whereabouts,
25:59 so that she can finally be brought home and laid to rest.
26:04 [Music]
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26:33 [Music]
26:35 (gentle music)
26:37 (sad music)