A woman found guilty at the Old Bailey of murdering a neighbour in Chingford
A woman has been found guilty at the Old Bailey of murdering a neighbour in Chingford. Carol Campling, 39 of Garenne Court, Warren Road, E4 was found guilty following a trial at the Old Bailey on 7 June of murdering 48-year-old Mark Smith. At 6.45am on 15 February 2018, Campling attended Chingford police station to report that she had found the lifeless body of a man in a neighbour’s flat at a block in Warren Road, E4. Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended the block, Garenne Court, and found Mark Smith suffering from multiple injuries inside a flat. He was pronounced dead at 07:18hrs that morning. An investigation was launched by the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command and Campling was arrested later that day. A post-mortem examination took place at East Ham Mortuary on 17 February, and gave Mark’s cause of death as multiple injuries. Campling was charged with murder on 18 February. On Friday, 7 June, following a trial, Campling was unanimously found guilty of murder. She will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 27 June. Detective Inspector John Marriott of the Homicide and Major Crime Command was the officer in charge of the investigation. He said: “Our investigation established that Campling had launched a vicious attack on Mark, using broken bottles, scissors and an ashtray before leaving him to die. “She then walked to a police station claiming to have ‘found’ the body, and has subsequently failed to take responsibility for her actions. “This is an awful case in which drug use and consumption of extremely excessive quantities of alcohol by Campling and the victim were a significant factor. “I want to express my sympathies to Mark’s family. “I would also urge anyone who is drinking excessively or taking drugs – in particular where those activities lead to loss of control or violence – to seek professional help. This case is a tragic example of the consequences of such a chaotic lifestyle.” A second person Robert Edwin Parsons, 64, was acquitted of the murder of Mark Smith at the same trial.
