Missing mum-of-five, 46, was ‘murdered by ex over bitter custody battle and only he knows where the body is’
A MUM of five in a bitter custody battle was murdered by her ex who then hid her body in the dead of night, a court heard yesterday.
Beautician Sarah Wellgreen, 46, had just landed a promotion that would give her enough cash to get a mortgage — and oust Ben Lacomba, 39, from her home’s converted loft.
She texted a pal: “There is always something to look forward to — you just need to open your eyes a bit more and dream.”
But prosecutor Alison Morgan said Lacomba killed her just hours later.
She added: “He then disposed of her body and to this date, despite extensive searches by the police, her body has not been found. Only this defendant knows where it is and exactly what he did that night.”
Taxi driver Lacomba, father to three of Sarah’s children, hoped to avoid detection through a string of ruses, it was said.
He turned off CCTV cameras at the house in New Ash Green, Kent, checked with a neighbour what their own cameras could see and then parked just out of sight, Woolwich crown court heard.
Only this defendant knows where her body is and exactly what he did that night.
This was so he could move the body undetected, it was alleged.
He told cops she had a “weird life” and was “seeing a lot of men” in the hope of shifting blame, Ms Morgan said.
But, she added, he fell foul of evidence from one of his children and his mother — as well as by sightings of his red Vauxhall Zafira leaving and returning two hours later.
Ms Morgan said Lacomba claimed to have spent the night asleep.
But she said one child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, woke and went to find their parents — but neither were there.
Meanwhile Lacomba’s mum told police he threw his Samsung phone into the Thames after officers visited him four days later, the court heard.
Lacomba initially agreed to hand over his phone. But when he was asked to authorise the download of deleted data, he was said to have replied: “Why would I want you to have deleted stuff when I have deleted it for a reason?”
His mother Maryln said: “After they’d gone, he was agitated and said he needed it for his work and also it had nastiness on it from the custody court case and it was private.
“He didn’t want it dragged back up again.”
CCTV captured his vehicle parking in Greenhithe, next to the Thames, at 11.20pm.
His mum went on: “He was really upset when he came back. I’m getting mixed up but I think he said he chucked his phone.”
The next day, Lacomba asked for £300 and bought an identical phone from Cash Converters.
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The court also heard Lacomba’s car was clean on the day of Sarah’s disappearance, had mud splattered on both sides the following morning but had been professionally cleaned by midday.
And he was said to have bought a large shovel despite having a paved garden with fake grass and small flower beds.
Lacomba denies murder and the trial continues.
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