Taxi Driver Locked Up for Murder of Mum-of-Five
A New Ash Green taxi driver has been slammed with a life sentence for the cold-blooded murder of his former partner, Sarah Wellgreen. Ben Lacomba was told he must serve at least 27 years in prison before being considered for release, following a chilling trial at Woolwich Crown Court on 8 November 2019.
The Twisted Hunt for Sarah
Sarah, a 46-year-old mother of five, vanished on 9 October 2018. Lacomba, 39, reported her missing two days later — sparking a massive investigation. Cops launched an intense search around their shared home in Bazes Shaw. Suspicion grew fast as detectives seized nearly 22,000 hours of CCTV footage.
Key CCTV footage revealed that both Sarah’s and Lacomba’s home cameras were mysteriously switched off the night she disappeared. Lacomba’s distinctive red Vauxhall Zafira taxi was also found parked out of sight, away from neighbours’ cameras. It was tracked heading south towards Stansted in the dead of night, then vanished from radar for two hours.
Smoke, Mirrors and a Sinking Phone
Cell phone records crushed Lacomba’s tale. Despite claiming he woke to find Sarah gone, he only reported her missing after friends and family raised concerns. When officers asked for his phone, Lacomba refused and stormed off, later chucking his phone into the River Thames.
The next day, he bizarrely bought the same phone model at a Dartford shop. His web of lies quickly unraveled, leading to his arrest on suspicion of murder on 16 October. While he sought custody of their three children, police piled up evidence until his murder charge came on 20 December 2018.
Justice for Sarah, Search Still On
“This is a substantial sentence which reflects the calculated and evil actions of a man who thought he could get away with murder,” said Detective Chief Inspector Ivan Beasley. “Now that justice has been served, we will continue to search for Sarah’s body.”
Sarah’s family released a powerful statement: “There is no bandage big enough to repair the wound left by her premature death. We will not allow Ben Lacomba to destroy our lives. Our priority is to give Sarah’s youngest children a full and happy life.”
The operation to find Sarah’s body was one of Kent Police’s biggest ever, covering over 2,700 miles with 120 officers daily, using dogs, drones, and the marine unit. Despite the killer behind bars, the search for Sarah’s remains continues.
