Ben Lacomba’s former solicitor joked that he would be the number one suspect when he told her his former partner Sarah Wellgreen had disappeared - and Lacomba agreed.

Woolwich Crown Court heard Lacomba, who has denied murdering Miss Wellgreen, had a telephone conversation with solicitor Julia Brand, on October 16 last year, a week after the 46-year-old mother of five disappeared from the home they shared in Bazes Shaw, New Ash Green.

Ms Brand, who had represented Lacomba previously in a custody battle over his children, provided a statement about the conversation, which was read to the court.

“On the morning of October 16, 2018, I had telephone contact with Ben Lacomba, who informed me that Sarah was missing,” she said.

“He told me she had left the family home in the middle of the night and had not since returned.

“I recall jokingly emphasising to Ben that he must be at the top of any suspect list in the event of suspicion of foul play.

“He agreed that would likely be the case.

“The purpose of his call was for me to represent his mother to ensure the children lived with her in the event he was arrested.”

She said she recalled asking Lacomba what he was doing about securing an urgent order from court in relation to the custody of the children, in the event that Sarah should return seeking custody of the children, and she said Lacomba had “expressed shock” that he would need such an order.

Earlier in the trial the jury heard how Lacomba had gone to the court later that day to obtain an interim order, and had been arrested outside the court.

Video: The court heard how the man accused of killing his ex partner could have dug a grave before she disappeared.

This morning at Woolwich the hearing of the defence concluded, listing a number of agreed facts - including facts relating to Lacomba’s Vauxhall Zafira taxi, which was allegedly caught on CCTV leaving and returning to New Ash Green in the early hours of October 10, when Lacomba insists he was in bed.

Junior defence counsel Ben Newton said there were 122 Vauxhall Zafiras registered in the three post code areas of New Ash Green.

Of those, 10 were the same model and year as Lacomba’s car, but none were registered as a taxi.

Part of the prosecution case was that a lighter area on the door of the car spotted on CCTV that night was actually the white “All Night Cars” sign writing on Lacomba’s car, blurred by the quality of the CCTV.

Read more from the trial:

• Accused Ben Lacomba could have dug grave in advance, claim prosecution

• Accused explains his troubled relationship
• 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
• 'Where did you hide the body, Mr Lacomba?'

The trial continues.

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