Man jailed for life for Harlow pond murder
A jury found 56-year-old Lee Clarke guilty of murdering Phillip Lewis last Friday
Last updated 12th Mar 2024
A man, who murdered his friend and disposed of his body across Harlow has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years.
56-year-old Lee Clarke, of Wedhey, Harlow, was found guilty last Friday (March 8) at Chelmsford Crown Court of the murder of Phillip Lewis, following a four week trial.
The jury returned a unanimous decision.
New Years Eve investigation launched
An investigation was launched on New Years Eve 2022, after Essex Police received a call from a member of the public, who had discovered a suspicious item at Oakwood Pond in Harlow at around 2pm. The area was quickly cordoned off and following attendance from forensic officers, the item was confirmed to be human remains.
A murder investigation within Essex and Kent Serious Crime Directorate was launched and dozens of detectives and specialist officers were assigned to the case.
Within two days of the discovery, the victim was identified through a DNA match as 59-year-old Phillip Lewis, who was known locally in Harlow as Scottish Phil.
Speaking after conviction, Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby said “This investigation progressed quickly and despite how tragic this case is, the quick identification of Phil was impressive and crucial in establishing what had happened.
“Once Phil had been identified, detectives were able to carry out enquiries, including phone network analysis to establish when Phil had gone missing and determine when he was killed. Based off this, it’s believed that Phil was killed on 12 November. Further enquiries identified Lee Clarke as the suspect”.
On Wednesday, 4 January, a warrant was executed at Clarke’s home address in Wedhey, Harlow and he was arrested on suspicion of murder. When carrying out searches of the property, officers located a number of items including power tools and blood marks across the property.
On 8 January 2023, Lee Clarke was charged with murder and remanded into custody.
Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby added “The charge against Lee Clarke was a significant development and the speed at which this was authorised demonstrated the hard work that went into this investigation. However, enquiries didn’t stop there, and our officers continue to gather the evidence needed to present this case in court.
“A vital element of these enquiries were the searches of multiple ponds across Harlow, to gather evidence and get justice for Phil, who was a son, a father, a friend, and a well-known man in Harlow.
“These searches were carried out by our Police Search Advisors (POLSA) and our Marine Unit and were supported by specialist agencies, including the Environment Agency. Searching water is a lot more complex than it may seem. It involves ensuring local wildlife is protected before draining the pond and conducting fingertip searches, which cover centimetre by centimetre of an area.”
During these searches, further human remains belonging to Phillip Lewis were located.
The trial of Lee Clarke began on Wednesday, 7 February at Chelmsford Crown Court. During the trial, Clarke attempted to claim that the blood located in his flat, was due to a broken mirror which the victim had helped him clear up.
The trial concluded after four-weeks on Friday, 8 March where a jury found Lee Clarke guilty of murder.
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.”