Ben Lacomba moved back in with his former partner Sarah Wellgreen so he could “look his children in the eye” and tell them he tried to make the relationship work, the 39-year-old told Woolwich Crown Court today.

Dad of three Lacomba - who is accused of murdering his former partner when she disappeared in October last year - told jurors how their relationship fell apart in 2014 before Sarah moved to Portsmouth in 2016, having started a relationship with another man.

When that relationship and a subsequent one failed, she texted him suggesting they could move back in together, which they did in May 2018.

“Even if it didn’t work out it meant when my children were older I could look them in the eye and say I tried everything possible to make it work,” explained Lacomba.

But things didn’t work out again and Sarah put forward a proposal to buy his half of the property at 22 Bazes Shaw, although Lacomba said he wasn’t sure how serious the plan was.

“Sarah’s plans were constantly changing,” he said. “She can take different directions in her life very quickly.

“The important thing to me was that the children had stability for the first time in a long time,” added Lacomba.

“That’s always the most important thing for me in the decisions I make.”

On Monday October 8 that year, the day before Sarah was last seen, Lacomba said he was happy to learn she had been given a new job with a salary of £45,000.

“I was extremely happy,” he said. “I was extremely proud of her. I was happy for her. During the time she moved back in she had been struggling for money.”

But he added: “She didn’t seem happy.

“She seemed deflated.”

The night Sarah disappeared between October 9 and 10, Lacomba maintained he was in bed all night.

The prosecution allege that his car was captured on CCTV in the early hours of the morning driving out of New Ash Green to an unknown location and returning two hours later.

CCTV the following day showed his car covered in mud, but Lacomba explained he had had to leave the road to let oncoming cars pass on his last taxi driving job on Tuesday October 9, when driving through woods on Rogers Wood Lane.

“Even if the roads are dry the woods are generally muddy,” he added. “It can rain one day and it can stay muddy even though the road can be dry.”

Prosecutors have also asked the jury to consider why Lacomba had a long-handled shovel in his shed, when his back garden is laid with artificial grass.

He explained this had been bought for his mother Marilyn, as she wanted to dig the front garden but didn’t want to bend her back as she suffered from fibromyalgia.

“I thought it would be ideal because it would give her lots of leverage and she wouldn’t have to bend over,” added Lacomba. “She’s not very strong. She’s an elderly lady.”

On the morning of October 10, Lacomba said he got up and realised Sarah wasn’t in her room.

“I thought it was unusual,” he said.

“I was worried because if Sarah goes and stays at a friend’s house or boyfriends’ house she normally texts me to say.

Read more from the trial:

• Ben Lacomba's phone call to police played in court
• 2,771 locations identified in search
• Accused 'left house' on night Sarah Wellgreen vanished
• Footage played to court of moment Ben Lacomba allegedly turned CCTV off
• Ben Lacomba was 'panicky' after ex went missing from New Ash Green home
• 'I didn't kill Sarah', says accused Ben Lacomba

"I hadn’t got a message like that. I thought that was weird because she wouldn’t normally do that.”

Asked why he didn’t phone Sarah immediately he said he had gone into her room and seen two of her phones on the bedside cabinet. “I thought ‘she hasn’t got her phones with her. How can I contact her?”

As he left the house that day he said he noticed Sarah’s car there, adding: “I thought that was unusual and weird as well.”

The trial continues.

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