Man who killed friend and dumped chopped up body in ponds jailed for life
An "evil" man who murdered his friend and dumped his chopped up body into several ponds has been jailed for life.
Lee Clarke, 56, of Harlow, was convicted after he disposed the human remains "piece by piece" and dumped them in several ponds in the area. He was found guilty of the "horrific" murder of Phillip Lewis, 49, following a four week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.
During the sentencing, shocking details were revealed about how the body parts - including the victim's head - are still missing. Mr Lewis, known as ‘Scottish Phil’ by locals, disappeared in November but was never reported missing to Essex Police.
His son Connor Lewis paid an emotional tribute and said his dad was "kind, caring and friendly". He said: "My life will be forever changed because of the actions of one man. My dad Phillip will never see his grandchild's beautiful smile and see them grow up and have days out at the park, zoo, seaside and be a Grandad. My dad enjoyed gardening and he was animal lover and music lover and loved to travel around the UK.
Phillip Lewis was murdered by his pal Lee Clarke (Essex Police / SWNS)"Phillip loved to cook and enjoyed a variety of food. My dad was interested in antiques, loved motor mechanics and movies of all kinds. Phillip's good friends will miss my dad's kindness and cheeky character and his visiting them and sharing funny stories and having good times.
Tragedy as 13-month-old boy dies after the stolen car he was in crashed
"I will miss my dad's voice at the end of the phone and our time together. My dad was not only my dad he was my best friend and confident. I loved my dad to the moon and back and my life will be empty without 'pops' in it."
An investigation was launched on New Years Eve in 2022 after Essex Police received a call from a member of the public who had discovered a suspicious item at Oakwood Pond in Harlow. Forensic tests confirmed the item to be human remains which were later linked to Mr Lewis, reports Essex Live.
Clarke was arrested at his home on Wedhey on January 4 with officers carrying out a search of his property. In doing so they located items including power tools and blood marks across the property. Specialist officers searched several water spaces across Harlow and, sadly, located further remains belonging to Mr Lewis.
The body parts were dumped in several local ponds (Essex Live / BPM Media)Addressing the defendant, Judge Morgan said: "You remained silent [during police interviews]. You bought yourself time to concoct a version of events that you would then tell the jury." Clarke, who had previous convictions for battery in 2015 when he "repeatedly struck another individual to the head", must serve at least 18 years and 301 days before being considered for parole.
Speaking after the sentencing, D/Supt Rob Kirby said “Known locally as Scottish Phil, he lived in Harlow for many years before his life was cruelly cut short at the hands of Clarke. As unforgivable as this is, Clarke then went on to dismember the body and make several trips to local ponds and lakes to dispose of it piece by piece.
"It is simply incomprehensible, how somebody can do that to another human being. His actions have meant that despite painstaking searches over several weeks, we have not been able to recover all of Phillip’s remains. Clarke could have assisted us in order that Phil’s family could lay him to rest – but he instead chose to remain silent. Clarke thought that he had covered his tracks but forensic officers were able to find important evidence within Clarke’s flat showing that Phil had been killed there."
Clarke attacked his victim inside his home (Essex Live / BPM Media)Kirby added: "I want to particularly praise the search and dive teams who spent weeks conducting fingertip searches of dredged ponds which presented significant challenges. I want to thank the residents of Harlow. When this murder was reported, you came together as a strong community, showing the true spirit of the town.
"The residents around Oakwood Pond endured weeks of police activity, but were welcoming and understanding of the enormity of the task. Finally, I want to pay tribute to Phil’s family and friends in how they have conducted themselves during this difficult time."
Outside court, DS Kirby added: "He has shown no compassion and no remorse whatsoever for what he did. He's truly an evil man. It's a really unusual case and I would want to provide that reassurance. This is truly horrific and what the family are still going through due to Clarke's actions is truly unforgiveable."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
