Ex-boyfriend of missing mother-of-five Sarah Wellgreen appears in court

The ex-boyfriend of missing mother-of-five Sarah Wellgreen has appeared in court this morning charged with her murder.

Ben Lacomba, 38, from New Ash Green, in Kent, spoke only to confirm his name, age and address during a brief hearing this morning.

The 38-year-old appeared via video link at Medway Magistrates’ Court in Chatham, Kent.

He was dressed in a black zip-up hoody behind a desk next to his legal representative. The hearing lasted just a couple of minutes.

The 38-year-old was initially detained on suspicion of murder and questioned as part of the missing persons inquiry after mother of five Ms Wellgreen, 47, vanished on October 9.

But he was re-arrested at his home yesterday and questioned by detectives during the day and charged with her murder last night.

Lacomba, a taxi driver, will next appear at Maidstone Crown Court this afternoon.

Sniffer dogs were brought to the end-of-terrace home yesterday as part of the murder investigation and a red taxi was loaded onto the back of a transport lorry.

A Kent Police spokesman said yesterday: ‘Detectives investigating the disappearance of Sarah Wellgreen have re-arrested a man on suspicion of murder.

‘Following information received by the investigation team, a further search of a property in New Ash Green is being carried out on December 20.

‘The man, in his 30s, was previously arrested on 16 October in connection with the investigation. Enquiries continue.’

Sarah has not been in contact with any of her friends or family since the day she went missing and significantly, missed the 13th birthday of one of her sons.