Madison Wright ‘killer’ drove car around ‘with her body in the boot’ & ‘sent messages posing as her to cover up murder’
MADISON Wright’s alleged killer sent messages posing as her before driving her car around with her body in the boot, a court heard.
Gary Bennett, who is on trial for the mum’s murder, was said to be trying to cover up the horror crime.
Madison, 30, was last seen before 11am on July 22 in Basildon, Essex.
Her body was tragically found in Wat Tyler Country Park eight days later.
Bennett, 37, has denied killing Madison, who was his partner, and wept in the secure dock at Basildon Crown Court today as his trial began.
In text messages read to the court by prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC, Madison had told Bennett on the morning she was last seen: “You’re too controlling”.
The court heard how the mum was a cleaner and worked until around 11am on July 22 but did not show up to an NHS appointment 10 minutes later.
An ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) camera was said to have instead recorded her car travelling towards Bennett’s home.
The court heard how he told police Madison arrived at his flat at around 11.20am and “was here for about 10 minutes at the most – throughout she said we needed time apart”.
The prosecutor told the court how Madison was “at one time married” and in contact with her husband while in a relationship with Bennett.
At around 1pm that same day the mum’s phone sent a message to her husband that said: “Some stuff has come up at my place that I need to sort out, sorry.”
The court heard how Madison’s husband found these messages were “out of character” and “short and terse”.
Speaking about Bennett, Ms Ayling told the court: “It’s the crown’s case that he himself was in possession of Madison’s phone and was setting this message up as a sort of alibi that she had gone somewhere and he was not responsible for her disappearance.
“It’s the crown’s case he had already killed her and was sending these text messages himself.”
The court heard how at 1.35pm Madison’s phone was turned off.
Thirteen-minutes later Bennett messaged her and asked if he had been “blocked”, adding: “You come and see me for like five minutes after work then left and told me not to come after you.”
The prosecution also told the court how Madison’s car was being driven around in the early hours of July 24 – two days after she was last seen.
They allege Bennett was driving the car – with Madison’s body in the boot.
It’s the crown’s case he had already killed her and was sending these text messages himself.
Tracy Ayling KC
Ms Ayling continued: “The car was eventually recovered, it had been left in Brackendale Avenue in Pitsea.
“It’s the crown’s case that Gary Bennett left it in Brackendale Avenue with Madison Wright’s body in it.”
The prosecutor told the court how later that morning Bennett sent a text to Madison saying: “I can see the car is gone”.
The court heard how he also sent her a message that day saying: “Talk to me Madison”.
The prosecutor said: “We say he had just buried her.”
The court also heard how Bennett owed people money.
Ms Ayling said that at 11.42am on the day Madison was last seen, her phone logged into her banking app, using fingerprint recognition, and two sums of cash were transferred into Bennett’s account – £550 and £400.
She went on to say that you “don’t need a live finger or thumb to access the account” as long as the print is recognised.
Ms Ayling said Bennett later withdrew cash from an ATM in a shop and messaged people about transferring them money.
The court also heard how the following day he travelled to a pawnbrokers shop in Grays and sold a necklace that Madison had been wearing on the day she was last seen for £310.
The necklace was found to have her DNA on it, but it was missing a distinctive “M” which has not been found.
The trial, due to last around three weeks, continues.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.