Moment ‘cowardly’ killer is arrested after dumping his friend’s body parts in ponds across Essex
THIS is the chilling moment a killer who “thought he could get away with murder” was cuffed by cops at his home.
Shocking footage shows a confused Lee Clarke, 56, being arrested in Wedhey, Harlow, after he brutally dumped the remains of his pal in several Essex ponds.
Officers placed the twisted suspect in handcuffs on January 4 last year, on suspicion of killing his friend and dad-of-two Phillip Lewis, 59.
CCTV showed Clarke previously scrambling to dispose of items from his property.
He appeared to haul large bags, and what looked like tarpaulin sheets, down the building stair well.
The cowardly killer hid his face from cameras under a hood and thick coat.
Essex Police bodycam footage showed the disheveled sicko, dressed in a grey tracksuit, surrounded by a swarm of police as they stormed his flat.
The baffled murderer appeared to question why he was being led away, with a dazed look on his face.
Cops then scoured the blood splattered flat, and uncovered Clarke’s grim secrets.
They discovered power tools and items that had been used to dump the victim’s remains across multiple different spots in Harlow.
The force initially launched their murder probe after a dog walker spotted something suspicious at Oakwood Pond on New Year’s Eve 2022.
Specialist teams went on to make more gruesome finds and further human remains at several locations, including other Harlow ponds.
Phillip, known lovingly as Scottish Phil, was later identified and forensics suggested the beloved dad had been killed on November 12.
Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby told Essex Live: “The way in which Lee Clarke disposed of Phil’s body was callous and inhumane.
“He thought he could get away with murder.”
Clarke became a suspect and was arrested four days later on January 4.
The sick killer was put on trial, during which he claimed Phillip’s blood was in his flat because he had cut himself while cleaning up a broken mirror.
A jury found him unanimously guilty of murder on Friday, March 8.
He is due to appear before a judge at Chelmsford Crown Court for sentencing on March 12.
Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby said “This trial has proven Lee Clarke to be a killer and a coward. Despite being arrested over a year ago, Clarke has refused to tell anyone why he killed Phil.
“He has also refused to disclose where he disposed of the rest of Phil’s body, which has added to the suffering inflicted on Phil’s family.
“This was a huge investigation for Essex Police and it would not have been possible without the support from the community in Harlow.
“Residents in Harlow were patient and compassionate, whilst our officers carried out enquiries. I can confidentially say that without the support from Harlow, assisting our hard-working officers, this result would not have been possible.”
