Britain's Most Evil Killers Season 10 Episode 5

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Transcript

00:00On the 14th of April 2003, police in the Welsh capital of Cardiff

00:08were called to the scene of a car on fire.

00:13They soon realised that in the back seat there was a dead body wrapped in a carpet.

00:19Now it's clear that this was a murder and that whoever committed the murder

00:24took the precaution of setting fire to the car and the body in it.

00:30Investigators soon identified the victim as 41-year-old Derek Bennett

00:36and the number one suspect was Derek's friend, Philip Hegarty.

00:42For the people around Hegarty, they instinctively felt there were problems with him

00:48but couldn't possibly have known how much danger they were in.

00:51The evidence against Hegarty was strong, but the 48-year-old refused to admit his guilt.

01:00Hegarty walked past me and he just looked at me and he said,

01:03I promise you, I didn't do it.

01:05Driven by violence and greed, Hegarty was willing to kill someone he called a friend,

01:11undoubtedly making him one of Britain's most evil killers.

01:16TITLE FATS

01:27TITLE FATS

01:28TITLE FATS

01:33When Philip Hegarty was arrested in 2003

01:46for the murder of his friend Derek Bennett,

01:48it was a shock to everyone who knew them both,

01:52including Derek's partner, Colleen.

01:58It's just unbelievable.

02:00You just don't believe it's true until you're going through it.

02:03HEGATY HEGATY

02:07Even though Derek knew some of Phil's criminal history,

02:10he didn't have a bad word to say about him.

02:13I suppose that's the show that he put on for him.

02:19Hegarty tried to deny murder,

02:21but the case was built on a wealth of forensic evidence.

02:26There was blood spatter in the basement.

02:29There was blood on the sofa where Derek had been murdered.

02:33There was blood on Hegarty's clothes.

02:36The evidence was overwhelming.

02:41When Hegarty was found guilty at his trial in July 2004,

02:46the judge decided that the 49-year-old career criminal

02:50would become one of around 70 prisoners in the UK

02:53with a whole life tariff.

02:57Handing down a whole life tariff is not going to be something

03:00that the judge is going to take lightly.

03:02I can only imagine the judge had his reasons.

03:07For the murder of his friend,

03:09Hegarty will never see beyond the prison walls.

03:12This killer's story begins in Cardiff in 1955.

03:19Little is known about Hegarty's formative years,

03:23but he appeared to have been on the wrong path from an early age.

03:28Hegarty was a difficult little boy, there's no doubt of that.

03:31I think he had a mean streak very early on,

03:34and it came out as soon as he got to 10 or 11.

03:38He started stealing from the neighbours,

03:39and he became progressively more belligerent.

03:44He was a career criminal from such a young age,

03:48and that does predict that he will probably carry on that pattern

03:53throughout his life.

03:55As Hegarty grew older, his crimes only escalated.

04:00In his 20s, he went on to become

04:05a particularly violent and nasty handbag snatcher.

04:10He used to creep up behind old ladies,

04:14punch, hit or kick them,

04:17and then run away taking the money.

04:22He only chose people who he thought were vulnerable or weaker than him.

04:27He's become increasingly violent.

04:31Violence works for him.

04:33Why would you pick on elderly women

04:35if you didn't have that mean and violent streak?

04:40In 1987, 32-year-old Hegarty was charged

04:45with yet another robbery offence.

04:47And this time, it was even more violent.

04:54He was arrested for beating up a taxi driver.

04:58In fact, so badly, the poor driver had to go to hospital.

05:03Hegarty's persistent law-breaking

05:05meant he was regularly in and out of prison.

05:09By May 1988,

05:11he was back on the streets of Cardiff once again.

05:18He, at that time,

05:19had a bit of a part-time job,

05:21measuring people for suits.

05:24And one day,

05:26he returned to the home of a retired estate agent,

05:29knocked on the door and said,

05:31oh, I've come to take some more measurements

05:33for your suit.

05:35But when he got inside the house,

05:38he beat his victim about the head

05:40with a cat-scratching post.

05:42He terrorised him.

05:44He tortured him.

05:46He put a knife to his throat.

05:48He slashed his face.

05:51Looking for money,

05:52he got away with 60 pounds and a bank card,

05:57put a plastic bag, a bin liner,

05:59over his victim's head

06:01and left him for dead.

06:08What's escalating

06:10is the amount of gratuitous violence

06:12that he is using.

06:14So I think it's the violence

06:16that is the real driver here.

06:20After the horrendous attack,

06:23Hegarty assumed the man was dead.

06:26But the retired estate agent

06:27managed to call the police

06:29and was later able to identify Hegarty

06:32as his attacker.

06:33Arrested and put on trial

06:38at Newport Crown Court,

06:40the 33-year-old was charged

06:41with attempted murder,

06:43wounding with intent and robbery.

06:46But Hegarty denied it all.

06:49He did his absolute best

06:51to wriggle out of being

06:53anywhere near the crime.

06:57Hegarty spun a web of lies.

07:00He maintained that he was drinking

07:02with female friends.

07:05He maintained that he took

07:07one of his friends

07:08to pick up their daughter

07:09from school.

07:14On the stand,

07:16when asked if he'd been

07:17at the victim's house that day,

07:19he responded,

07:20certainly not.

07:25The evidence against Hegarty,

07:27I think, was compelling.

07:29But Hegarty's not the kind

07:31of person that is bothered

07:34by things like guilt.

07:35So he's going to use everything

07:37in his power to try

07:39and get out of it.

07:42The prosecution had one thing

07:44that Hegarty couldn't wriggle out of.

07:47The victim himself

07:48had clearly identified him.

07:50It was all lies

07:55and he was convicted

07:57of attempted murder,

07:59wounding with intent.

08:03He gets a sentence

08:05of 15 years

08:06for the attack

08:08on this elderly man.

08:09He only serves 10 years

08:11for the 15.

08:14Newly released

08:15after his time in prison,

08:17the now 43-year-old

08:18Philip Hegarty

08:19relocated

08:21to the south coast

08:22of England.

08:22When he came out of prison,

08:26he would have been,

08:27in my opinion,

08:29possibly worse

08:30than when he went in

08:31and he was bad enough

08:32when he went in.

08:34On his release,

08:36Hegarty returns

08:37to his old ways.

08:38Robbery, theft.

08:41At one point,

08:41he goes to Dorset

08:42and starts stealing

08:44television sets

08:44and all sorts

08:45of other things

08:46and doesn't see any point

08:48in earning a living.

08:49He'll make it by theft.

08:51I just don't think

08:53he recognised authority.

08:56He was the one

08:57who was going to do

08:57whatever he liked.

09:02By the early 2000s,

09:04Hegarty had a long list

09:06of charges to his name.

09:08He decided to move

09:09back to Cardiff,

09:11where he resumed

09:12an old friendship

09:12with a man called

09:14Derek Bennett.

09:18At the time,

09:20Derek was living

09:20with his partner,

09:22Colleen.

09:23I met Derek

09:25while out

09:26with my work colleagues

09:27for just a night out.

09:30He walked me home,

09:32never left.

09:34He was a very charming,

09:35lovable rogue,

09:37as my mum

09:38used to call him.

09:39Derek was so family-oriented.

09:48He always seemed so happy.

09:50He was never judgmental.

09:52Just basically happy

09:53that he had his life

09:55with his family

09:56and Derek loved everything

09:59to do with family.

10:02Colleen and Derek

10:03both already had children

10:05and together they had a son,

10:07forming a blended family.

10:10One day,

10:12they were out in Cardiff

10:13when they bumped

10:14into an old friend.

10:18Derek had met Hegarty

10:20a few years before

10:21I'd met him.

10:23I only met him

10:24when we walked

10:25into a joke shop.

10:26We were on our shopping trips

10:28in town

10:29and Hegarty was working there.

10:31That's how Hegarty

10:32came back into his life.

10:36And every now and again,

10:37Hegarty would go to football

10:38with him,

10:39go out drinking with him.

10:42The two bonded

10:43over their love of drink

10:45and their love of Cardiff City

10:47and they were seen together

10:49a lot of the time

10:50going to matches.

10:52Derek even had a key

10:53to Hegarty's flat

10:55in the Grangetown area

10:57of Cardiff.

10:58He'd go there

10:59to hang out

10:59with Hegarty.

11:02At the time

11:03I'd known Hegarty,

11:04I'd known

11:05he'd been in and out

11:06of prison.

11:07But at the time,

11:09I never knew what for.

11:12Hegarty seemingly

11:13hid his crimes

11:15from those around him,

11:16but Colleen

11:17was still wary.

11:21Whenever Derek

11:22would come back

11:23from seeing Phil,

11:24I'd feel that

11:25he was just trying

11:26to poison his mind

11:27against everything.

11:30Whether it be

11:31our little family

11:33or something else.

11:35And when he'd come

11:36back home

11:36and he'd be sullen

11:38and upset

11:40and he wouldn't talk

11:41and you could see

11:42anger in the eyes.

11:45It's quite possible

11:47that Derek was wary of him.

11:50all his instincts

11:52were telling him

11:53that he didn't really

11:54want to be

11:55around this guy.

11:58I do believe

11:59that Hegarty

12:00probably gave out

12:02that vibe

12:02because he wouldn't

12:04have the skills

12:05to make people

12:06trust him.

12:09Every time

12:10Phil's name

12:11was mentioned,

12:12I'd say,

12:13oh, please don't tell me

12:14he's coming.

12:15It's such a chill

12:16that would go down my spine

12:17but never pinpointing why.

12:21The thought of being

12:23in the same room,

12:24it'd make my skin crawl.

12:26I'd never put my finger on it

12:27so I'd try not to

12:29be left alone with him.

12:33What Colleen didn't know

12:35was that this was a man

12:37now facing

12:38serious debts.

12:39In the past,

12:41Hegarty

12:42had always resorted

12:43to crime

12:44to solve

12:45his financial problems

12:46but in the early

12:48months of 2003

12:50his debts

12:51were growing

12:52and growing

12:53and he needed

12:54to do something

12:54to solve that problem.

12:58He was becoming

12:59increasingly

13:00more dangerous

13:01to the people

13:03that he actually

13:04knew

13:05because this was

13:06a man

13:07who enjoyed

13:08violence.

13:11Derek and Hegarty's

13:13friendship continued

13:14and in April 2003

13:16they went

13:17to a party together.

13:19On the surface

13:20it was two friends out

13:21on a Friday

13:22but only one of them

13:25would make it home

13:27alive.

13:35In April 2003

13:38Philip Hegarty

13:40was living

13:40in Cardiff

13:41and had

13:42rekindled

13:43a friendship

13:43with 41-year-old

13:45Derek Bennett.

13:49By 2003

13:51Hegarty

13:51has a string

13:52of violent

13:53convictions

13:53to his name

13:54and it was

13:56inevitable

13:56that he would

13:57use violence

13:58again.

13:59For the people

14:00around Hegarty

14:01they probably

14:03instinctively

14:04felt

14:05there were

14:06problems

14:06with him

14:07but couldn't

14:07possibly

14:08have known

14:08how much

14:08danger

14:08they were in.

14:14On Monday

14:15the 14th

14:16of April

14:17police received

14:18a 999 call

14:19informing them

14:21that a car

14:21was on fire

14:22in the

14:23Wychurch area

14:24of Cardiff.

14:25The fire brigade

14:26arrive,

14:27put the fire

14:28out

14:28but then

14:29discover inside

14:30a body

14:31wrapped

14:32in a rug.

14:34They have

14:34no idea

14:34who the body

14:35is.

14:36They have

14:36no idea

14:37whose car

14:37it is.

14:38It's simply

14:39a burnt

14:40body

14:40in a car.

14:42The intriguing

14:43case landed

14:44on the desk

14:45of DS

14:45Martin Lloyd

14:46Evans.

14:48I hadn't

14:49long come home

14:49from work

14:50and it was

14:50about 9 o'clock

14:51on a Monday

14:51evening.

14:53I had a phone

14:54call just

14:54telling me

14:55that a body

14:56had been found

14:56in a burnt

14:57out car

14:58in a car

14:58park in

14:59Wychurch.

14:59I remember

15:01people couldn't

15:02quite believe

15:03that such

15:05a horrific

15:05thing had

15:06happened

15:06within that

15:07community.

15:09A battered

15:10body

15:10wrapped

15:11in a carpet

15:12in the back

15:13seat of a

15:13blazing car

15:14in the middle

15:16of Wychurch.

15:17That doesn't

15:18happen very

15:19often.

15:20As head

15:21of homicide,

15:22Martin was

15:23quick to

15:23assess the

15:24scene.

15:24There was

15:28a body

15:28in the back

15:28seat

15:29wrapped in

15:29something.

15:31You couldn't

15:32say it was

15:32male or

15:33female.

15:35Everything

15:35was protected

15:36by what

15:36was seen

15:37to be

15:37some sort

15:38of blanket

15:39or material

15:39over the

15:40body,

15:41but you

15:41could see

15:41the person's

15:42head and

15:43you could

15:43see their

15:44arm.

15:45We could

15:45see the

15:46feet were

15:46bound

15:47together

15:47with a

15:48bath towel.

15:50On top

15:50of the

15:51head had

15:52been placed

15:52a pillowcase.

15:54And then

15:56the person

15:57had wrapped

15:57in this

15:58carpet.

15:59The jumper,

16:00it was a

16:00reddish jumper

16:01with black

16:02stripes on

16:02it.

16:03Martin and

16:04his team

16:04began to

16:05look for

16:05clues as

16:06to what

16:06had happened

16:07and found

16:08two witnesses

16:09who saw

16:10the fire

16:10start.

16:11They didn't

16:12even smell

16:12smoke or

16:13see anything

16:13coming from

16:14the car

16:15when they

16:16parked quite

16:16near to

16:16it.

16:17They'd

16:17only

16:17literally

16:18got into

16:18a club

16:19upstairs

16:19to the

16:20snooker

16:20room a

16:21matter of

16:22minutes when

16:22they look

16:22out and see

16:23this car

16:23ablaze.

16:24Nobody

16:26remembers

16:26when the

16:27car was

16:27put there.

16:29No one

16:29remembers

16:29seeing

16:30anybody

16:30running

16:30away

16:31from

16:31it.

16:31It's a

16:32complete

16:32mystery.

16:33Reaching

16:34an impasse

16:34with the

16:35witnesses,

16:36Martin used

16:37his detective

16:37instincts to

16:38ascertain whether

16:39or not he

16:40was at an

16:41active murder

16:42scene.

16:43My suspicions

16:44were aroused

16:44when I saw

16:45this brownie-red

16:46fluid in the

16:48water that

16:48had washed

16:49out from

16:49the car.

16:51A crime

16:51seam examiner

16:52at the scene

16:52tested it and

16:53in fact it

16:53was blood.

16:55Now it's

16:56clear that

16:57this was a

16:57murder and

16:59that whoever

16:59committed the

17:00murder took

17:01the precaution

17:02of setting

17:02fire to the

17:04car and the

17:04body in it

17:05in an attempt

17:06to cover his

17:07or her tracks.

17:09One thing was

17:11clear, the

17:12killer had

17:12attempted to

17:13destroy all

17:14the evidence,

17:15but they'd

17:16overlooked

17:16something.

17:17whoever put

17:19the victim

17:19in the back

17:20of that

17:21Renault Laguna

17:22had made

17:22a fatal

17:23mistake.

17:23They'd

17:23shut the

17:24doors and

17:24windows so

17:25that there

17:26wasn't enough

17:26oxygen for

17:27the fire to

17:28burn really

17:29fiercely.

17:30And although

17:31the facial

17:32features had

17:33been destroyed,

17:34a lot of

17:35the body

17:36was still

17:36intact.

17:39Because the

17:40body was

17:40cocooned in the

17:41carpet, it

17:42actually was

17:42protected from

17:43the fire.

17:45You could

17:45see that it

17:47was a male,

17:48probably aged

17:48about 45.

17:50But what was

17:51significant on

17:52the right-hand

17:53side of the

17:54temple, you

17:56could see that

17:56the person

17:57had suffered a

17:58number of

17:58blunt trauma

17:59to the right

18:00side of their

18:00head.

18:01Given there

18:02were no

18:03witnesses,

18:03police worked

18:04on the

18:04theory these

18:05blows to the

18:06head happened

18:07elsewhere, and

18:08the body had

18:09been transported

18:10in the car.

18:11They managed

18:12to track down

18:13the registered

18:13owner to see

18:14if he could

18:15answer their

18:16questions.

18:17What he said

18:18is that he'd

18:19sold the car

18:19some six weeks

18:20before to a

18:21guy that he'd

18:22met in a

18:23public house.

18:24All he knew

18:25this guy was

18:26called Dell,

18:27and he was a

18:27Cardiff City

18:28supporter.

18:29But who was

18:30this Dell?

18:32This is where

18:33the media can

18:35be really

18:35helpful.

18:37They had a

18:37name, they

18:38knew he was

18:39referred to as

18:40Dell, but

18:41really that's

18:41all they had.

18:43The day

18:44after discovering

18:45the body and

18:46armed with

18:47nothing more

18:48than the name

18:49Dell, South

18:50Wells Police

18:51held a press

18:51conference to

18:52appeal to the

18:53public for

18:54information.

18:56At the press

18:56conference, I

18:57released some

18:58certain information,

19:00and watching the

19:01television was

19:02Dell's brother,

19:03and he came

19:04forward and said

19:05he recognized the

19:06cars belonging to

19:07his brother,

19:08Derek, known as

19:09Dell.

19:11So now we had

19:12our victim,

19:13Derek Bennett.

19:20The last time I

19:21saw Derek, we'd

19:22had a lovely day

19:24out, we'd had

19:25food, and then

19:26he was coming

19:26back and he was

19:27getting changed to

19:28go out and

19:29celebrate a birthday

19:30with his brother

19:31mother and a few

19:32of their mates.

19:36Colleen knows he

19:37went out on

19:37Friday night, and

19:39she hasn't heard

19:39from him by

19:41Sunday, and it's

19:42beginning to be

19:42really worrying.

19:43I was drinking a

19:52cup of coffee, and

19:53I had a knock on

19:54the door, and it

19:55was Derek's

19:56sister-in-law and

19:56niece, saying

20:00they've been in

20:00contact with the

20:01police, and

20:02something's

20:02happened to

20:03Derek, and I

20:04needed to phone

20:05them straight

20:06away.

20:09And I laughed.

20:11Don't be

20:11stupid.

20:12I just laughed.

20:16And when I

20:17phoned, I

20:18went to

20:18Peter's.

20:29So, just

20:30things from

20:32there on

20:33are spotty

20:34and grainy.

20:39Investigators

20:39had to tell

20:40Colleen the

20:41devastating

20:42news.

20:43Derek had

20:44been murdered,

20:45and they

20:45didn't know

20:46who was

20:47responsible.

20:48I think it's

20:49a mixture of

20:50confusion and

20:51shock rolled

20:53into one.

20:53It's pure

20:54sadness.

20:56A life

20:56taken.

20:57Children

20:57not seeing

20:58their father

20:58again.

21:00Colleen had to

21:01break the news

21:02to her children.

21:04Their dad

21:04wouldn't be coming

21:05home.

21:07I just said,

21:08some bad

21:08man had

21:09hurt Derek,

21:11and Derek's

21:12not coming

21:12back.

21:14And one of my

21:15daughters at the

21:16time said,

21:17can I go see him

21:18in a balloon

21:19with a basket?

21:25Well,

21:25child's imagination,

21:27eh?

21:27the police

21:32asked us all to

21:32leave the house

21:33so that they

21:35can search their

21:35place, just

21:37basically to rule

21:38out me as a

21:39suspect.

21:40That's the only way

21:41you can put it.

21:46I spoke to

21:48Derek's partner

21:48in several days

21:49of the murder

21:50taking place.

21:51She, in fact,

21:52was a great source

21:53of information

21:54for us.

21:55Wanted to find

21:56out who would

21:57kill her partner.

21:59And she

22:00assisted us

22:00no end

22:01in that regard.

22:05Police were

22:06determined to

22:07find out who

22:08was responsible

22:08for Derek's

22:09brutal murder.

22:10The post-mortem

22:12gave them some

22:12of the answers

22:13they'd been

22:14looking for.

22:15Well, it was

22:16clear that the

22:17cause of death

22:17was blunt trauma

22:19to the right-hand

22:21side of Derek's

22:22body.

22:22He'd been hit

22:23a minimum of

22:24six times

22:24with a blunt

22:25object, probably

22:26a hammer, I

22:27would have

22:27thought.

22:31Which had

22:31caused the skull

22:32to shatter

22:32in numerous

22:34pieces.

22:37And that's

22:38what killed

22:38him.

22:38At least

22:40six blows,

22:41that means

22:42the first blow

22:43wasn't enough

22:44for this

22:45person.

22:46And they

22:47continued,

22:48probably,

22:49until he was

22:50completely

22:50incapacitated

22:51or even

22:52dead.

23:01Investigators

23:02established that

23:03Colleen last

23:04saw Derek

23:05on the Friday

23:05night.

23:07They spoke to

23:07the people

23:08that Derek

23:08had been out

23:09with to try

23:10and establish

23:11a timeline.

23:13He'd been

23:14out.

23:15He'd been

23:15visiting a number

23:16of public

23:16houses in

23:17Cardiff with

23:18his brother

23:18and a number

23:20of other

23:20people.

23:22Ending up

23:22then in a

23:23nightclub in

23:23Cardiff and

23:24then in the

23:24early hours

23:25of the Saturday

23:26morning going

23:27to a house

23:27party in the

23:28Rumney area

23:29of the city.

23:32It seemed

23:32from those

23:33investigations

23:34that the

23:34last sighting

23:35of Derek

23:35was on the

23:37early hours

23:37of the

23:38Saturday

23:38morning.

23:43Derek's

23:43brother told

23:44police that

23:45Derek had

23:45left the

23:46party around

23:476.30 in

23:48the morning.

23:49He'd left

23:49in a friend's

23:50car, that

23:51of 48-year-old

23:53Philip Hegarty.

23:57Philip Hegarty,

23:58he was driving

23:59the car and

24:00Derek was

24:00sitting in the

24:01car together

24:02with Derek's

24:02brother and

24:03they went to

24:04the petrol

24:04station and

24:05they bought

24:05petrol.

24:07We recovered

24:08the CCTV footage

24:10and we could

24:10see that Derek

24:11was wearing

24:12that red top

24:13with the black

24:14stripes on it.

24:16And that top

24:17is on the

24:18charred body

24:19in the car,

24:20which means

24:21he was probably

24:21killed not

24:22long afterwards.

24:25Investigators

24:26were now

24:26certain that

24:27Derek Bennett

24:28had been

24:28murdered in

24:29the early

24:29hours of

24:30Saturday morning

24:31and the

24:32last person

24:32seen with

24:33him was

24:34Philip Hegarty.

24:35The 48-year-old

24:36was now the

24:37main suspect,

24:38but was it

24:39truly conceivable

24:40that Derek's

24:41good friend

24:41was also

24:43his killer?

24:44In April 2003,

24:5541-year-old Derek

24:56Bennett was found

24:57murdered on the

24:58back seat of his

24:59own burnt-out car.

25:01He was last seen

25:02driving through

25:03Cardiff after

25:04leaving a party

25:05with his friend

25:06Philip Hegarty.

25:07As the last

25:08person to see him

25:09alive and with a

25:11violent track record,

25:13police needed to

25:14speak to Hegarty

25:15to get his

25:16account of that

25:17fateful Friday

25:18evening.

25:23He claimed that

25:25Derek Bennett

25:25hadn't been to his

25:26house, that he'd

25:27dropped him off at

25:28the international

25:29arena.

25:32He'd gone one way,

25:33he'd gone another,

25:34and he hadn't seen

25:34him since.

25:35Simple as that.

25:36And he was quite

25:38happy to tell us

25:39all that he knew

25:40or wanted us to

25:41know.

25:43He's setting the

25:45narrative about

25:45who he is.

25:46He knows that

25:48he's got a really,

25:49really long

25:50criminal past

25:52with violence,

25:54so he's obviously

25:55going to come

25:56onto the radar.

25:59Hegarty was the

26:00prime suspect,

26:01but investigators

26:02had no solid

26:03evidence against

26:04him.

26:05Martin spoke to

26:06witnesses about

26:08Hegarty's movements

26:09after Derek's

26:10murder.

26:20On a Saturday,

26:21he should have

26:22gone to work.

26:23He didn't.

26:23He took the day

26:24off.

26:24He used to work

26:25in a call centre.

26:27He just didn't

26:27show up and ran

26:29in sick on that

26:30particular day.

26:31He had a car,

26:33yet three days

26:34later, he

26:35scrapped it

26:35and bought another

26:36car.

26:37Now, this is a man

26:38that didn't have

26:38any money.

26:39He seemed to be in

26:40possession of quite

26:41a substantial sum of

26:42money.

26:43He paid off a number

26:44of debts that he

26:45borrowed to people

26:46that he worked

26:46with.

26:50Martin started to

26:51work on the theory

26:52that Hegarty could

26:53have stolen money

26:54from Derek, but he

26:56had no proof.

26:57Whilst detectives

26:59looked into this

26:59motive, Hegarty was

27:01making sure to pay

27:02his condolences to

27:04Derek's family.

27:12In the days that

27:13followed, Hegarty came

27:15over and he'd just

27:18sit in my house with

27:20his feet on my

27:22chairs.

27:23He'd sit there and

27:24start crying.

27:25Why did someone take

27:28my friend?

27:29What happened?

27:31Why?

27:33I felt so

27:35uncomfortable and I

27:36just didn't want to be

27:38there with him.

27:39I just needed him

27:40gone.

27:40He was desperately

27:44trying to portray

27:45himself as somebody

27:47trustworthy who

27:48couldn't possibly have

27:50been involved in this.

27:52He was offering up

27:52his sofa when one of

27:54the family needed

27:55that.

27:56This was a man who

27:58simplistically thought,

28:00if I look like a nice

28:02guy, everybody will

28:03think I'm a nice guy,

28:05so nobody is going to

28:06point the finger at

28:07me.

28:10Investigators

28:13believed Derek was

28:14murdered in a

28:15different location to

28:16where his body was

28:18found.

28:19Martin decided to

28:20bring Hegarty back

28:21into the police station

28:22for an interview, and

28:24whilst he was there,

28:26they obtained a

28:26warrant to search his

28:28home.

28:29What the police

28:30didn't have in the

28:32wake of the discovery

28:33of the body in the

28:34car was where the

28:36crime took place, and

28:37so they're looking for

28:38a crime scene, and

28:39one potential crime

28:41scene would be

28:42Philip Hegarty's

28:43flat.

28:46Detectives went to

28:47his house to do a

28:48cursory search, and

28:48he lived in a rented

28:49accommodation, ground

28:51floor flat.

28:52When they looked

28:54around that house, they

28:55found Derek's bum bag

28:58where he kept his

28:58money.

29:02Finding Derek's

29:03empty money bag

29:04backed up the theory

29:06that Hegarty had stolen

29:07cash from his

29:08friend, but

29:10investigators needed a

29:11lot more if they were

29:13going to prove murder.

29:17One major thing the

29:19police discovered in

29:20their search of Hegarty's

29:21flat was a speck,

29:23literally, of blood on

29:25the wall.

29:27We took a sample of the

29:28blood, but in the blood

29:30was a fingerprint, and

29:31that fingerprint belonged

29:32to Philip Hegarty.

29:34Martin didn't know who the

29:37blood belonged to yet, but

29:39he suspected it would turn

29:41out to be Derek's.

29:42He decided to follow his

29:44hunch and arrest Hegarty on

29:45suspicion of murder.

29:47Now he was against the

29:48clock to prove it.

29:50I decided to fast track the

29:54blood we'd found at the

29:55scene and dispatched it to

29:58the forensic science

29:59service, who came back, a

30:01DNA profile of Derek

30:03Bennett.

30:04So we've got Philip Hegarty's

30:05fingerprint and Derek

30:07Bennett's blood at his

30:08scene.

30:10Police could now formally

30:11charge Hegarty with murder,

30:13but he continued to deny it.

30:16Without a confession,

30:18investigators knew they

30:19would have to find even

30:21more evidence.

30:22They started with a full

30:24forensic search of the

30:26flat.

30:30As the scientist carried out

30:32a more detailed search of

30:34the lounge, there was a

30:36leather setting underneath

30:37the bookcase, and underneath

30:39the bookcase, the small

30:41droplets of blood.

30:43And once you found one, we

30:44found loads of them.

30:46And it was quite clear, this

30:47was the spray from where he

30:49struck Derek Bennett, at the

30:52blood had splattered over

30:53the wall in minute spots.

30:56The blood spit indicates to

30:59the police that Derek was

31:01probably asleep on the sofa

31:03when he was attacked.

31:09Shockingly, this was the

31:10very same sofa that Hegarty

31:13had let Derek's grieving son

31:14stay on in the days after the

31:17murder.

31:18The evidence all pointed towards

31:21Derek being killed in Hegarty's

31:22flat.

31:24Now they wanted to see if they

31:26could link him to the carpet

31:27that Derek's body was wrapped in.

31:30As we continued to look in the

31:32house, there were signs that it

31:34had been cleaned.

31:36It was just quite a dirty flat,

31:37but this particular room had a shape

31:39of a carpet on the floor.

31:41And clearly, that had gone missing.

31:44Philip Hegarty had two dogs.

31:47Took samples from the carpet,

31:49found at the scene,

31:50compared them with the contents of the

31:52vacuum cleaner, which was in Philip Hegarty's

31:55house, and they matched.

31:56The evidence against Hegarty

32:01continued to mount, but investigators

32:03wanted even more.

32:05This time, they honed in on the

32:07pillowcase and towel that were found

32:09covering Derek's head and body.

32:12I had a phone call of the police

32:16officers dealing with Derek's

32:18murder, and they asked me if I could

32:21go to the police station to identify

32:23some things.

32:25When I went down there, I identified

32:27pillowcases and towels, and I only

32:30know they were from me, because a

32:32couple of months previously, Hegarty

32:34asked me if I had any spare bedding,

32:37so I sorted out where I had, and I

32:39gave it to him.

32:42The gathering of evidence in this

32:44case was probably one of the best

32:46cases.

32:47Everything just came together to make

32:49a complete picture, pointing to only

32:51one person that committed this crime,

32:53which was Philip Hegarty.

32:55Derek's family were shocked to

32:57discover that the man charged with

32:59his murder was someone that they all

33:02knew, and had invited into their

33:05homes.

33:08Never suspected Hegarty at all.

33:11Why would you suspect someone who's

33:13coming to visit you, why would you

33:16suspect them of them being a killer?

33:24Faced with a murder charge and a

33:26solid forensic case, Hegarty still

33:29refused to admit to killing his

33:32friend.

33:32And, at his upcoming trial, he was going

33:37to try and get away with murder.

33:41In 2003, Philip Hegarty was charged with the

33:55murder of Derek Bennett.

33:56But despite the overwhelming forensic

33:59evidence against him, Hegarty refused to

34:02admit to killing his friend.

34:04As the prosecution prepared for the

34:06upcoming trial, they used the evidence to

34:09paint a picture of exactly what happened

34:11between the two friends on the night

34:14of Derek's murder.

34:18We know that Derek had gone to Hegarty's

34:21flat and was lying face down on the sofa,

34:25sleeping off this very boozy night.

34:28We can only suppose that Hegarty thought,

34:31this is my chance to get some money.

34:35He knew that Derek had around £3,000 with him.

34:41I think it's something he just took advantage

34:43of the situation that he found himself in.

34:47But he was a danger, a danger to everybody,

34:50and almost like a ticking time bomb,

34:51waiting for an opportunity to get what he wanted,

34:55using force if necessary.

34:57And that's what he did.

34:59Hegarty had been violent in the past,

35:01but this attack went further.

35:07It may look on the surface as if he just wanted

35:11to rob him.

35:11He did not need to kill Derek to rob him.

35:18This was a very frenzied, brutal killing,

35:22straight from the Hegarty playbook.

35:24What he did was he beat his so-called best friend

35:29around the head.

35:36He had a slow and painful death.

35:39It took Derek one and a half hours to die.

35:43And all the time, Hegarty was there by his side.

35:47This is an out-of-the-blue anger from Hegarty,

35:53probably driven by his need to pay off his debts,

35:56but also out of envy.

36:07Hegarty refused to admit to the murder,

36:10let alone a motive for it.

36:12But it seemed clear that money was at the centre of the vicious attack.

36:17He was skint.

36:19He owed people money all over Cardiff.

36:22On the day of the murder and days following,

36:25he paid off a lot of his debts with money that he'd got from Derek.

36:30Witnesses describe him as being flush with money.

36:33It didn't seem to occur to him that somebody might say,

36:40where did that money come from?

36:41You've been in debt for ages.

36:43How have you suddenly got the means to pay that off?

36:49I just don't think Hegarty is very clever.

36:52Not only did investigators believe Hegarty murdered his so-called friend,

37:04but they also believed he took multiple steps

37:07to try and cover up what he'd done.

37:11It's clear from the timeline

37:13that Derek's body was kept in the flat for some time

37:18because it was two days later

37:20that Derek's body was found in the blazing car in Whitchurch.

37:26This man, I think, enjoys the violence so much,

37:31everything else kind of just goes for a blank for him

37:36and he panics afterwards

37:38and just tries to deal with it afterwards in whatever way he can.

37:43Hegarty had committed a very brutal murder.

37:46What we know is that he made not terribly successful

37:49but extensive efforts to clear up the blood

37:52to try and cover his tracks, but he had a problem.

37:55He was in a flat in a busy area of Cardiff

37:58and there was a dead body on his sofa.

38:04Philip Hegarty wrapped Derek in the carpet

38:08and had to carry it out of his flat to the car in the street.

38:12So he had to hide the feet and hide the head.

38:18Prosecutors believed that in Hegarty's efforts

38:20to disguise the crime scene,

38:22he left behind a trail of evidence

38:24which they were now ready to present to a jury in the courtroom.

38:30In July 2004, the trial began at Swansea Crown Court.

38:36The prosecution had a very good case against Philip Hegarty.

38:47They had all the forensic evidence

38:50that scenes of crimes officer had gathered from Hegarty's vat.

38:54The blood, the fibres, the dog hairs

38:57from the carpet that was used to wrap Derek's body.

39:01The evidence in this case wasn't just circumstantial,

39:04and it was overwhelming.

39:11Despite the odds being heavily stacked against him,

39:15Philip Hegarty pleaded not guilty.

39:20He did put forward a defence,

39:23although it was very, very weak.

39:26He said that there were heavies,

39:28drug heavies that Derek was afraid of,

39:31and they must have come and killed him and murdered him

39:35and left his body in a car.

39:37He spent days trying to create false alibis.

39:42It was ridiculous.

39:43He also said he didn't know the area of Whitchurch in Cardiff,

39:46so how could he possibly leave a dead body in a blazing car there?

39:51Hegarty would have continued to deny everything

39:56whilst there was the slightest chance that he might have got off.

40:00Simple as that.

40:02Derek's partner, Colleen, sat in the courtroom,

40:06hearing Hegarty's passionate denial, day in, day out.

40:11Every day I'd go to the courts in Swansea,

40:14and he'd walked past,

40:17and they nearly took him back out of the court

40:18because he spoke to me.

40:21He just said out loud,

40:23I promise you I didn't do it.

40:29After 27 days, the trial concluded,

40:33and on the 23rd of July 2004,

40:37the jury were ready to deliver their verdict.

40:40It only took them a day and a half.

40:45They came back into court and told the judge,

40:48Mr Justice Roderick Evans, that they had a verdict.

40:51That verdict was guilty.

40:53Hegarty was guilty of murder.

40:58Finally, Philip Hegarty would be back behind bars.

41:02When it came to sentencing,

41:04the judge spoke of the 49-year-old's continued duplicity.

41:08Sentencing Hegarty, Mr Justice Roderick Evans

41:13turned to him and said that he was a very dangerous,

41:17violent man, a manipulative and resourceful liar.

41:22In Hegarty's case, the judge said life should mean life.

41:27He imposed a whole-life tariff.

41:31Whole-life tariffs are reserved

41:36only for the most serious of offenders.

41:42There's probably only about 70 of them

41:47because we only use them in the most extreme circumstances.

41:53When I heard the sentence,

41:59I thought, my life can carry on.

42:01My life can go, make a new normal,

42:04because my old normal's gone now.

42:09How do you get a new normal?

42:11You've got to work hard.

42:14For Derek's family, the ordeal was finally over.

42:19But they would never get their partner and father back.

42:27The two children Derek and I have together,

42:30they definitely felt what it's like growing up without a dad.

42:36The younger one has no photos with his dad,

42:40no memories, no nothing.

42:43And definitely doesn't heal,

42:45but it makes it easier to cope with as well.

42:48So all I've got to do is just keep living my life with my families

42:53and my life will get where it should be.

43:00Philip Hegarty murdered Derek Bennett

43:03with little regard for his friend or his friend's family.

43:08This was a story of a Jekyll and Hyde character

43:12who was all short of money

43:14and wouldn't stop at anything

43:16to get what he wanted, to get that money.

43:23He's used violence to his advantage throughout his life.

43:27The public should be protected from a man

43:29who is entirely capable of violence at a moment's notice.

43:32When Derek said goodbye to Colleen and his children that Friday night,

43:38he couldn't have known what his so-called friend was capable of.

43:42Philip Hegarty brutally murdered Derek

43:45for no other reason than pure greed,

43:48which is why Hegarty will forever be remembered

43:50as one of Britain's most evil killers.

43:53We'll be right back to you.

44:23You

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