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Britains Most Evil Killers - Season 10 - Episode 05: Philip Hegarty
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00:00Captions by Red Bee Media
00:00Copyright Australian Broadcasting Corporation
00:07On the 14th of April, 2003,
00:11police in the Welsh capital of Cardiff
00:13were called to the scene of a car on fire.
00:18They soon realized that in the back seat
00:20there was a dead body wrapped in a carpet.
00:24Now it's clear that this was a murder
00:27and that whoever committed the murder
00:29took the precaution of setting fire to the car and the body in it.
00:36Investigators soon identified the victim as 41-year-old Derek Bennett
00:41and the number one suspect was Derek's friend, Philip Hegarty.
00:47For the people around Hegarty,
00:49they instinctively felt there were problems with him
00:53but couldn't possibly have known how much danger they were in.
00:56The evidence against Hegarty was strong
00:59but the 48-year-old refused to admit his guilt.
01:04Hegarty walked past me and he just looked at me
01:07and he said, I promise you, I didn't do it.
01:10Driven by violence and greed,
01:13Hegarty was willing to kill someone he called a friend,
01:16undoubtedly making him one of Britain's most evil killers.
01:33The End
01:47When Philip Hegarty was arrested in 2003
01:51for the murder of his friend Derek Bennett,
01:53it was a shock to everyone who knew them both,
01:57including Derek's partner, Colleen.
02:03It's just unbelievable.
02:05You just don't believe it's true until you're going through it.
02:12Even though Derek knew some of Phil's criminal history,
02:15he didn't have a bad word to say about him.
02:18I suppose that's the show that he put on for him.
02:24Hegarty tried to deny murder,
02:26but the case was built on a wealth of forensic evidence.
02:31There was blood spatter in the basement.
02:34There was blood on the sofa where Derek had been murdered.
02:39There was blood on Hegarty's clothes.
02:41The evidence was overwhelming.
02:46When Hegarty was found guilty at his trial in July 2004,
02:50the judge decided that the 49-year-old career criminal
02:54would become one of around 70 prisoners in the UK
02:58with a whole-life tariff.
03:02Handing down a whole-life tariff is not going to be something
03:05that the judge is going to take lightly.
03:07I can only imagine the judge had its reasons.
03:12For the murder of his friend,
03:14Hegarty will never see beyond the prison walls.
03:19This killer's story begins in Cardiff in 1955.
03:24Little is known about Hegarty's formative years,
03:27but he appeared to have been on the wrong path
03:30from an early age.
03:33Hegarty was a difficult little boy.
03:35There's no doubt of that.
03:36I think he had a mean streak very early on,
03:39and it came out as soon as he got to 10 or 11.
03:42He started stealing from the neighbours
03:44and he became progressively more belligerent.
03:49He was a career criminal from such a young age
03:53and that does predict that he will probably carry on that pattern
03:58throughout his life.
04:00As Hegarty grew older, his crimes only escalated.
04:07In his 20s, he went on to become a particularly violent
04:12and nasty handbag snatcher.
04:15He used to creep up behind old ladies,
04:19punch, hit or kick them,
04:23and then run away taking the money.
04:27He only chose people who he thought were vulnerable
04:31or weaker than him.
04:33He's become increasingly violent.
04:36Violence works for him.
04:38Why would you pick on elderly women
04:40if you didn't have that mean and violent streak?
04:45In 1987, 32-year-old Hegarty was charged
04:49with yet another robbery offence.
04:53And this time, it was even more violent.
04:59He was arrested for beating up a taxi driver.
05:03In fact, so badly that the poor driver had to go to hospital.
05:08Hegarty's persistent law-breaking
05:10meant he was regularly in and out of prison.
05:14By May 1988,
05:16he was back on the streets of Cardiff once again.
05:22He, at that time,
05:24had a bit of a part-time job,
05:26measuring people for suits.
05:29And one day,
05:30he returned to the home of a retired estate agent,
05:34knocked on the door and said,
05:36Oh, I've come to take some more measurements for your suit.
05:40But when he got inside the house,
05:43he beat his victim about the head with a cat-scratching post.
05:47He terrorised him.
05:49He tortured him.
05:50He put a knife to his throat.
05:53He slashed his face.
05:56Looking for money,
05:57he got away with £60 and a bank card,
06:02put a plastic bag,
06:03a bin liner,
06:04over his victim's head
06:06and left him for dead.
06:13What's escalating
06:15is the amount of gratuitous violence
06:17that he is using.
06:19So I think it's the violence
06:21that is the real driver here.
06:25After the horrendous attack,
06:28Hegarty assumed the man was dead.
06:30But the retired estate agent
06:32managed to call the police
06:34and was later able to identify Hegarty
06:37as his attacker.
06:41Arrested and put on trial
06:43at Newport Crown Court,
06:44the 33-year-old was charged
06:46with attempted murder,
06:48wounding with intent and robbery.
06:50But Hegarty denied it all.
06:54He did his absolute best
06:56to wriggle out
06:58of being anywhere near the crime.
07:02Hegarty spun a web of lies.
07:05He maintained that he was
07:06drinking with female friends.
07:10He maintained that he took
07:12one of his friends
07:13to pick up their daughter
07:14from school.
07:19On the stand,
07:20when asked if he'd been
07:21at the victim's house that day,
07:24he responded,
07:25certainly not.
07:30The evidence against Hegarty,
07:32I think, was compelling.
07:34But Hegarty's not the kind of person
07:37that is bothered by things like guilt.
07:40So he's going to use
07:41everything in his power
07:43to try and get out of it.
07:47The prosecution had one thing
07:49that Hegarty couldn't wriggle out of.
07:51The victim himself
07:53had clearly identified him.
07:58It was all lies
08:00and he was convicted
08:02of attempted murder,
08:04wounding with intent.
08:08He gets a sentence
08:09of 15 years
08:11for the attack
08:13on this elderly man.
08:14He only serves 10 years
08:16for the 15.
08:19Newly released
08:20after his time in prison,
08:22the now 43-year-old
08:23Philip Hegarty
08:24relocated
08:25to the south coast of England.
08:29When he came out of prison,
08:31he would have been,
08:32in my opinion,
08:33possibly worse
08:35than when he went in
08:36and he was bad enough
08:37when he went in.
08:39On his release,
08:41Hegarty returns
08:41to his old ways.
08:43Robbery, theft.
08:45At one point,
08:46he goes to Dorset
08:47and starts stealing television sets
08:49and all sorts of other things
08:51and doesn't see any point
08:53in earning a living.
08:54He'll make it by theft.
08:57I just don't think
08:58he recognised authority.
09:00He was the one
09:01who was going to do
09:02whatever he liked.
09:07By the early 2000s,
09:09Hegarty had a long list
09:11of charges to his name.
09:13He decided to move back
09:14to Cardiff,
09:15where he resumed
09:16an old friendship
09:17with a man called
09:19Derek Bennett.
09:23At the time,
09:24Derek was living
09:25with his partner,
09:27Colleen.
09:28I met Derek
09:30while out
09:31with my work colleagues
09:32for just a night out.
09:35He walked me home,
09:37never laughed.
09:38He was a very charming,
09:40lovable rogue,
09:42as my mum used to call him.
09:51Derek was so family-oriented.
09:53He always seemed so happy.
09:55He was never judgmental.
09:57Just basically happy
09:58that he had his life
10:00with his family
10:01and Derek loved
10:03everything to do with family.
10:07Colleen and Derek
10:08both already had children
10:10and together they had a son,
10:12forming a blended family.
10:15One day,
10:16they were out in Cardiff
10:18when they bumped
10:19into an old friend.
10:22Derek had met Hegarty
10:25a few years before
10:26I'd met him.
10:28I only met him
10:29when we walked
10:30into a joke shop.
10:31We were on our
10:32shopping trips in town
10:34and Hegarty was working there.
10:36That's how Hegarty
10:37came back into his life.
10:40And every now and again,
10:42Hegarty would go to football
10:43with him,
10:44go out drinking with him.
10:46The two bonded
10:48over their love of drink
10:49and their love of Cardiff City
10:52and they were seen together
10:53a lot of the time
10:55going to matches.
10:57Derek even had a key
10:58to Hegarty's flat
11:00in the Grangetown area
11:02of Cardiff.
11:03He'd go there
11:03to hang out with Hegarty.
11:07At the time I'd known Hegarty,
11:09I'd known he'd been in
11:11and out of prison,
11:12but at the time
11:13I never knew what for.
11:17Hegarty seemingly hid his crimes
11:19from those around him,
11:21but Colleen was still wary.
11:26Whenever Derek would come back
11:28from seeing Phil,
11:29I'd feel that he was just
11:31trying to poison his mind
11:32against everything.
11:35Whether it be our little family
11:38or something else,
11:40and when he'd come back home
11:41and he'd be sullen
11:43and upset
11:45and he wouldn't talk
11:46and you could see anger
11:48in the eyes.
11:50It's quite possible
11:52that Derek was wary of him.
11:55All his instincts
11:57were telling him
11:58that he didn't really want
11:59to be around this guy.
12:03I do believe
12:04that Hegarty probably
12:06gave out that vibe
12:07because he wouldn't have
12:09the skills
12:10to make people trust him.
12:14Every time Phil's name
12:16was mentioned,
12:17I'd say,
12:18oh, please don't tell me
12:19he's coming.
12:20It's such a chill
12:21that would go down my spine,
12:22but never pinpointing why.
12:26The thought of being
12:28in the same room,
12:29it'd make my skin crawl.
12:30I'd never put my finger on it,
12:32so I'd try not to
12:33be left alone with him.
12:38What Colleen didn't know
12:40was that this was a man
12:42now facing serious debts.
12:45In the past,
12:46Hegarty had always resorted
12:48to crime
12:49to solve his financial problems,
12:51but in the early months
12:53of 2003,
12:55his debts were growing
12:57and growing
12:57and he needed to do something
12:59to solve that problem.
13:02He was becoming
13:04increasingly more dangerous
13:06to the people
13:07that he actually knew.
13:10because this was a man
13:12who enjoyed violence.
13:16Derek and Hegarty's friendship
13:18continued
13:19and in April 2003,
13:21they went to a party together.
13:24On the surface,
13:25it was two friends out
13:26on a Friday,
13:27but only one of them
13:29would make it home alive.
13:40In April 2003,
13:44Philip Hegarty was living
13:45in Cardiff
13:46and had rekindled
13:48a friendship
13:48with 41-year-old
13:50Derek Bennett.
13:54By 2003,
13:56Hegarty has a string
13:57of violent convictions
13:58to his name
14:00and it was inevitable
14:01that he would use
14:02violence again.
14:04For the people
14:05around Hegarty,
14:06they probably
14:09instinctively felt
14:10there were problems
14:11with him
14:12that couldn't possibly
14:12have known
14:13how much danger
14:13they were in.
14:19On Monday,
14:20the 14th of April,
14:22police received
14:23a 999 call
14:24informing them
14:25that a car was on fire
14:27in the Wychurch area
14:28of Cardiff.
14:30The fire brigade arrive,
14:32put the fire out,
14:33but then discover inside
14:35a body
14:36wrapped in a rug.
14:38They have no idea
14:39who the body is.
14:40They have no idea
14:42whose car it is.
14:43It's simply
14:44a burnt body
14:45in a car.
14:47The intriguing case
14:48landed on the desk
14:50of DS Martin Lloyd-Evans.
14:53I hadn't long
14:54come home from work
14:55and it was about
14:559 o'clock
14:56on a Monday evening.
14:58I had a phone call
14:59just telling me
15:00that a body
15:01had been found
15:01in a burnt-out car
15:03in a car park
15:03in Wychurch.
15:05I remember
15:06people couldn't
15:07quite believe
15:08that such a horrific
15:10thing had happened
15:11within that community.
15:14A battered body
15:15wrapped in a carpet
15:17in the backseat
15:18of a blazing car
15:19in the middle
15:21of Wychurch.
15:22That doesn't happen
15:23very often.
15:25As head of homicide,
15:27Martin was quick
15:28to assess the scene.
15:32There was a body
15:33in the backseat
15:34wrapped in something.
15:36You couldn't say
15:37it was male or female.
15:39everything was protected
15:41by what was seen
15:42to be some sort
15:43of blanket
15:44or material
15:44over the body
15:45but you could see
15:46the person's head
15:47and you could see
15:48their arm.
15:50We could see
15:50the feet were
15:51bound together
15:52with a bath towel.
15:55On top of the head
15:56had been placed
15:57a pillowcase
16:00and then the person
16:02had wrapped
16:02in this carpet.
16:03The jumper,
16:04it was a reddish jumper
16:06with black stripes on it.
16:08Martin and his team
16:09began to look
16:10for clues
16:11as to what had happened
16:12and found two witnesses
16:14who saw the fire start.
16:16They didn't even smell smoke
16:18or see anything
16:18coming from the car
16:20when they parked
16:21quite near to it.
16:22They'd only literally
16:23got into a club
16:24upstairs to the snooker room
16:25a matter of minutes
16:27when they look out
16:28and see this car ablaze.
16:30Nobody remembers
16:31when the car
16:32was put there.
16:33No one remembers
16:34seeing anybody
16:35running away from it.
16:36It's a complete mystery.
16:38Reaching an impasse
16:39with the witnesses,
16:41Martin used
16:41his detective instincts
16:43to ascertain
16:44whether or not
16:45he was
16:46at an active murder scene.
16:48My suspicions
16:49were aroused
16:49when I saw
16:50this browny-red fluid
16:51in the water
16:53that had washed out
16:54from the car.
16:54A crane-seam examiner
16:57at the scene
16:57tested it
16:58and in fact
16:58it was blood.
17:00Now it's clear
17:01that this was a murder
17:03and that whoever
17:04committed the murder
17:05took the precaution
17:07of setting fire
17:08to the car
17:09and the body in it
17:10in an attempt
17:11to cover
17:12his or her tracks.
17:14One thing was clear
17:16the killer
17:17had attempted
17:17to destroy
17:18all the evidence
17:19but they'd
17:21overlooked something.
17:23Whoever put
17:24the victim
17:24in the back
17:25of that Renault Laguna
17:27had made a fatal mistake.
17:28They'd shut
17:28the doors and windows
17:30so that there
17:31wasn't enough oxygen
17:32for the fire
17:33to burn really fiercely.
17:35And although
17:36the facial features
17:37had been destroyed
17:39a lot of the body
17:40was still intact.
17:44Because the body
17:45was cocooned
17:45in the carpet
17:46it actually was protected
17:48from the fire.
17:49You could see
17:50that it was a male
17:52probably aged about 45
17:54but what was significant
17:56on the right-hand side
17:58of the temple
18:00you could see
18:01that the person
18:02had suffered
18:02a number of blunt trauma
18:04to the right side
18:05of their head.
18:06Given there were
18:07no witnesses
18:08police worked
18:09on the theory
18:10these blows to the head
18:11happened elsewhere
18:12and the body
18:14had been transported
18:15in the car.
18:16They managed
18:17to track down
18:17the registered owner
18:19to see if he could
18:20answer their questions.
18:22What he said
18:23is that he'd sold
18:24the car some six weeks
18:25before to a guy
18:27that he'd met
18:27in a public house.
18:29All he knew
18:30this guy was called
18:31Dell
18:31and he was a Cardiff
18:32city supporter.
18:33But who was this Dell?
18:37This is where
18:38the media
18:39can be really helpful.
18:41They had a name
18:43they knew
18:43he was referred
18:45to as Dell
18:45but really
18:46that's all
18:47they had.
18:48The day after
18:49discovering the body
18:51and armed with
18:52nothing more
18:53than the name
18:54Dell
18:54South Wales police
18:56held a press conference
18:57to appeal to the public
18:59for information.
19:01At the press conference
19:02I released
19:03some certain
19:03information
19:04and watching
19:06the television
19:06was Dell's brother
19:08and he came
19:09forward and said
19:10he recognised
19:10the cars belonging
19:11to his brother
19:12Derek
19:13known as Dell.
19:15So now
19:16we had our
19:17victim
19:17Derek Bennett.
19:25The last time
19:26I saw Derek
19:26we'd had
19:28a lovely day out
19:29we'd had food
19:30and then he was
19:31coming back
19:32and he was getting
19:32changed to go out
19:33and celebrate
19:34a birthday
19:34with his brother
19:36and a few
19:37of their mates.
19:40Colleen
19:41knows he went out
19:42on Friday night
19:43and she hasn't
19:44heard from him
19:45by Sunday
19:46and it's beginning
19:47to be really worrying.
19:56I was drinking
19:56a cup of coffee
19:57and I had a knock
19:59on the door
19:59and it was Derek's
20:01sister-in-law
20:01and niece
20:04saying they've
20:05been in contact
20:06with the police
20:06and something's
20:07happened to Derek
20:08and I needed
20:09to phone him
20:10straight away.
20:13And I laughed.
20:15I'm stupid.
20:17I just laughed.
20:21And when I phoned
20:22I went to pieces.
20:34So it's just
20:35things from there
20:37on
20:38are spotty
20:39and grainy.
20:43Investigators
20:44had to tell
20:45Colleen
20:46the devastating
20:47news.
20:48Derek had been
20:49murdered
20:49and they didn't
20:51know
20:51who was
20:52responsible.
20:54I think it's
20:54a mixture
20:55of confusion
20:56and shock
20:56rolled into
20:58when it's
20:58pure sadness.
21:01A life taken.
21:02Children
21:02not seeing
21:03their father
21:03again.
21:05Colleen
21:06had to break
21:06the news
21:07to her children.
21:08Their dad
21:09wouldn't be
21:10coming home.
21:12I just said
21:12some bad man
21:14had heard
21:15Derek
21:15and Derek's
21:17not coming
21:17back.
21:19and one
21:20of my daughters
21:21at the time
21:21said
21:22can I go
21:23and see him
21:23in a balloon
21:24with a basket?
21:29Well
21:30child's
21:31imagination
21:31eh?
21:36The police
21:37asked us all
21:37to leave the
21:38house
21:38so that
21:39they can
21:40search their
21:40place
21:41just basically
21:42to rule out
21:43me as a suspect.
21:44That's
21:45the only
21:46way you
21:46can put it.
21:51I spoke
21:52to Derek's
21:53partner
21:53in several
21:54days of the
21:54murder taking
21:55place.
21:56She in fact
21:57was a great
21:57source of
21:58information for
21:59us.
22:00Wanted to find
22:01out who
22:02would kill
22:02her partner
22:04and she
22:05assisted us
22:05no end
22:06in that
22:06regard.
22:10Police
22:10were determined
22:11to find out
22:12who was
22:13responsible
22:13for Derek's
22:14brutal murder.
22:15The post-mortem
22:17gave them
22:17some of the
22:18answers
22:18they'd been
22:19looking for.
22:20Well
22:21it was clear
22:21that the
22:22cause of
22:22death
22:22was blunt
22:23trauma
22:24to the
22:25right-hand
22:25side
22:26of Derek's
22:27body.
22:27He'd been
22:27hit a
22:28minimum
22:28of six
22:29times
22:29with a
22:30blunt
22:30object
22:31probably
22:31a hammer
22:32I would
22:32have
22:32thought.
22:35which had
22:36caused
22:36the skull
22:37to shatter
22:37in numerous
22:39pieces.
22:41And that's
22:43what killed
22:43him.
22:44At least
22:45six blows
22:46that means
22:47the first
22:48blow wasn't
22:49enough for
22:49this person
22:50and they
22:52continued
22:53probably
22:53until he
22:55was completely
22:55incapacitated
22:56or even
22:57dead.
23:03dead.
23:06Investigators
23:07established that
23:08Colleen last
23:09saw Derek
23:09on the
23:10Friday night.
23:11They spoke
23:12to the
23:13people that
23:13Derek had
23:14been out
23:14with to
23:15try and
23:15establish a
23:16timeline.
23:18He'd been
23:19out.
23:20He'd been
23:20visiting a
23:21number of
23:21public
23:21houses in
23:22Cardiff
23:23with his
23:23brother and
23:24a number
23:24of other
23:25people.
23:26Ending up
23:27then in
23:27a nightclub
23:28in Cardiff
23:28and then in
23:29the early hours
23:30of the
23:30Saturday
23:31morning going
23:32to a
23:32house party
23:33in the
23:33Rumley
23:34area of
23:34the city.
23:36It seemed
23:37from those
23:38investigations
23:39that the
23:39last sighting
23:40of Derek
23:40was on
23:41the early
23:42hours of
23:43Saturday
23:43morning.
23:47Derek's
23:48brother told
23:49police that
23:50Derek had
23:50left the
23:51party around
23:526.30 in
23:53the morning.
23:53He'd left
23:54in a friend's
23:55car, that
23:56of 48-year-old
23:58Philip Hegarty.
24:02Philip Hegarty,
24:03he was driving
24:04the car and
24:05Derek was
24:05sitting in the
24:06car together
24:07with Derek's
24:07brother and
24:08they went to
24:09the petrol
24:09station and
24:10they bought
24:10petrol.
24:12We recovered
24:13the CCTV
24:14footage and
24:15we could
24:15see that
24:16Derek was
24:16wearing that
24:17red top with
24:18the black
24:18stripes on
24:19it.
24:20And that
24:21top is on
24:23the charred
24:23body in
24:24the car,
24:25which means
24:26he was
24:26probably killed
24:27not long
24:28afterwards.
24:30Investigators
24:31were now
24:31certain that
24:32Derek Bennett
24:33had been
24:33murdered in
24:34the early
24:34hours of
24:35Saturday
24:35morning and
24:36the last
24:37person seen
24:38with him
24:38was Philip
24:39Hegarty.
24:40The 48-year-old
24:41was now the
24:42main suspect,
24:43but was it
24:44truly conceivable
24:45that Derek's
24:46good friend
24:46was also
24:48his killer?
24:56In April
24:582003,
24:5941-year-old
25:00Derek Bennett
25:01was found
25:02murdered on
25:03the backseat
25:03of his own
25:04burnt-out car.
25:06He was last
25:07seen driving
25:07through Cardiff
25:08after leaving
25:09a party with
25:10his friend
25:11Philip Hegarty.
25:12As the last
25:13person to see
25:14him alive
25:15and with a
25:16violent track
25:17record,
25:17police needed
25:18to speak to
25:19Hegarty to
25:20get his
25:21account of
25:21that fateful
25:22Friday evening.
25:28He claimed
25:29that Derek
25:30Bennett hadn't
25:31been to his
25:31house, that
25:32he'd dropped
25:33him off at
25:33the international
25:34arena.
25:37He'd gone one
25:38way, he'd gone
25:38another, you
25:39haven't seen
25:39him since,
25:40simple as
25:40that.
25:42And he was
25:43quite happy to
25:44tell us all
25:45that he knew
25:45or wanted us
25:46to know.
25:48He's setting
25:49the narrative
25:50about who
25:51he is.
25:51He knows
25:53that he's
25:53got a really,
25:54really long
25:55criminal past
25:57with violence,
25:58so he's
25:59obviously going
26:00to come onto
26:01the radar.
26:04Hegarty was
26:05the prime
26:05suspect, but
26:06investigators had
26:08no solid
26:08evidence against
26:09him.
26:10Martin spoke
26:11to witnesses
26:12about Hegarty's
26:13movements after
26:14Derek's murder.
26:25On a Saturday,
26:26he should have
26:26gone to work.
26:27He didn't.
26:28He took the day
26:29off.
26:29He used to work
26:30in a call center.
26:31He just didn't show
26:32up and ran in
26:34sick on that
26:35particular day.
26:36He had a car
26:37that, yet,
26:38three days later,
26:39he scrapped it
26:40and bought another
26:41car.
26:42Now, this is a man
26:43that didn't have
26:43any money.
26:44He seemed to be
26:45in possession of
26:46quite a substantial
26:47sum of money.
26:47He paid off a
26:48number of debts
26:49that he borrowed
26:50to people that
26:51he worked with.
26:55Martin started
26:56to work on the
26:56theory that Hegarty
26:58could have stolen
26:59money from Derek,
27:00but he had
27:01no proof.
27:02Whilst detectives
27:03looked into this
27:04motive, Hegarty
27:06was making sure
27:07to pay his
27:08condolences to
27:09Derek's family.
27:16In the days
27:18that followed,
27:19Hegarty came over
27:20and he'd just
27:23sit in my house
27:24with his feet
27:26on my chairs.
27:28He'd sit there
27:29and start crying.
27:32Why did someone
27:33take my friend?
27:34What happened?
27:35Why?
27:38I felt so
27:40uncomfortable
27:40and I just
27:41didn't want to
27:42be there with him.
27:44I just needed
27:45him gone.
27:46He was desperately
27:49trying to portray
27:50himself as somebody
27:51trustworthy,
27:53who couldn't
27:54possibly have been
27:55involved in this.
27:56He was offering
27:57up his sofa
27:58when one of the
27:59family needed
28:00that.
28:00This was a man
28:03who simplistically
28:04thought,
28:05if I look like
28:07a nice guy,
28:08everybody will
28:08think I'm a nice
28:09guy, so nobody
28:10is going to point
28:11the finger at me.
28:17Investigators
28:18believed Derek
28:18was murdered
28:19in a different
28:20location to where
28:22his body was found.
28:23Martin decided to
28:25bring Hegarty back
28:26into the police
28:27station for an
28:28interview, and
28:29whilst he was
28:30there, they
28:31obtained a warrant
28:32to search his
28:33home.
28:34What the police
28:35didn't have in the
28:37wake of the discovery
28:38of the body in the
28:39car was where the
28:41crime took place, and
28:42so they're looking for
28:43a crime scene.
28:44And one potential
28:45crime scene would
28:47be Philip Hegarty's
28:48flat.
28:50The detectives went
28:51to his house to do
28:52a cursory search.
28:53Now, he lived in a
28:54rented accommodation,
28:55ground floor flat.
28:57When they looked
28:58around that house,
29:00they found Derek's
29:02bum bag where he
29:03kept his money.
29:07finding Derek's
29:08empty money bag
29:09backed up the
29:10theory that Hegarty
29:12had stolen cash
29:13from his friend.
29:14But investigators
29:15needed a lot more
29:17if they were going
29:18to prove murder.
29:21One major thing
29:23the police discovered
29:24in their search
29:25of Hegarty's
29:26flat was a
29:28speck, literally,
29:29of blood on
29:30the wall.
29:32We took a sample
29:33of the blood, but
29:34in the blood was a
29:35fingerprint, and
29:36that fingerprint
29:37belonged to
29:38Philip Hegarty.
29:40Martin didn't know
29:42who the blood
29:43belonged to yet,
29:44but he suspected
29:45it would turn out
29:46to be Derek's.
29:47He decided to
29:48follow his hunch
29:49and arrest Hegarty
29:50on suspicion of
29:51murder.
29:52Now he was
29:53against the clock
29:54to prove it.
29:57I decided to
29:58fast-track the
29:59blood we'd found
30:00at the scene
30:01and dispatched it
30:02to the Forensic
30:03Science Service
30:04who came back
30:05a DNA profile
30:06of Derek Bennett.
30:09So we've got
30:09Philip Hegarty's
30:10fingerprint
30:11and Derek Bennett's
30:12blood at his scene.
30:15Police could now
30:16formally charge
30:17Hegarty with murder,
30:18but he continued
30:19to deny it.
30:21Without a confession,
30:23investigators knew
30:24they would have to
30:25find even more
30:26evidence.
30:26they started
30:28with a full
30:29forensic search
30:30of the flat.
30:35As the scientist
30:36carried out
30:37a more detailed
30:38search of the lounge,
30:40there was a leather
30:41setting underneath
30:42the bookcase
30:42and underneath
30:44the bookcase
30:45were small
30:46droplets of blood.
30:47Once you found one,
30:49we found loads of them
30:50and it was quite clear
30:52this was the spray
30:53from where he
30:54struck
30:55Derek Bennett
30:56at the blood
30:57had splattered
30:58over the wall
30:58in minute spots.
31:01The blood spit
31:03indicates to the police
31:05that Derek was
31:06probably asleep
31:07on the sofa
31:08when he was attacked.
31:14Shockingly,
31:15this was the very
31:16same sofa
31:16that Hegarty
31:18had let Derek's
31:19grieving son
31:19stay on
31:20in the days
31:21after the murder.
31:23The evidence
31:24all pointed
31:25towards Derek
31:26being killed
31:27in Hegarty's flat.
31:29Now they wanted
31:30to see
31:30if they could
31:31link him
31:31to the carpet
31:32that Derek's
31:33body was wrapped in.
31:35As we continued
31:37to look in the house,
31:38there were signs
31:39that it had been cleaned.
31:40It was just
31:41quite a dirty flat
31:42but this particular room
31:43had a shape
31:44of a carpet
31:45on the floor
31:46and clearly
31:47that had gone missing.
31:49Philip Hegarty
31:49had two dogs,
31:51took samples
31:52from the carpet
31:53found at the scene,
31:55compared them
31:56with the contents
31:57of the vacuum
31:58cleaner
31:58which was in
31:59Philip Hegarty's
32:00house
32:00and they matched.
32:03The evidence
32:05against Hegarty
32:06continued to mount
32:07but investigators
32:08wanted even more.
32:10This time
32:11they honed in
32:12on the pillowcase
32:13and towel
32:13that were found
32:14covering Derek's
32:15head and body.
32:18I had a phone call
32:20of the police officers
32:22dealing with Derek's
32:23murder
32:24and they asked me
32:25if I could go
32:26to the police station
32:27to identify
32:28some things.
32:30When I went down there
32:31I identified
32:32pillowcases
32:33and towels
32:34and I only knew
32:35they were from me
32:36because a couple
32:37of months previously
32:39Hegarty asked me
32:40if I had any spare bedding
32:41so I sorted out
32:42where I had
32:43and I gave it to him.
32:47The gathering
32:48of evidence
32:49in this case
32:50was probably
32:50one of the best cases.
32:52Everything just came together
32:53to make a complete picture
32:55pointing to only one person
32:56that committed this crime
32:57which was Philip Hegarty.
33:00Derek's family
33:01were shocked
33:02to discover
33:03that the man
33:04charged with his murder
33:05was someone
33:06that they all knew
33:07and had invited
33:09into their homes.
33:13Never suspected Hegarty
33:15at all.
33:16Why would you suspect
33:17someone
33:18who's coming
33:18to visit you
33:19why would you
33:21suspect them
33:22of them being a killer?
33:29Faced with a murder charge
33:31and a solid forensic case
33:33Hegarty still refused
33:35to admit
33:35to killing his friend.
33:38and at his upcoming trial
33:41he was going to try
33:42and get away
33:44with murder.
33:55In 2003
33:57Philip Hegarty
33:58was charged
33:59with the murder
34:00of Derek Bennett
34:01but despite
34:02the overwhelming
34:03forensic evidence
34:04against him
34:05Hegarty refused
34:06to admit
34:07to killing his friend.
34:08As the prosecution
34:10prepared for the upcoming trial
34:12they used the evidence
34:13to paint a picture
34:14of exactly what happened
34:16between the two friends
34:17on the night
34:18of Derek's murder.
34:23We know that Derek
34:24had gone to Hegarty's flat
34:26and was lying face down
34:28on the sofa
34:29sleeping off this
34:31very boozy night.
34:32we can only suppose
34:34we can only suppose
34:35that Hegarty thought
34:36this is my chance
34:37to get
34:38some money.
34:40He knew
34:41that Derek
34:42had around
34:42£3,000
34:44with him.
34:45I think it's something
34:47he just took advantage
34:48of the situation
34:50that he found himself in.
34:52But he was a danger
34:53a danger to everybody
34:54and almost like
34:55a ticking time bomb
34:56waiting for an opportunity
34:58to get what he wanted
35:00using force
35:01if necessary
35:02and that's what he did.
35:03Hegarty had been violent
35:05in the past
35:06but this attack
35:07went further.
35:12It may look
35:13on the surface
35:14as if he just
35:15wanted to rob him.
35:16He did not need
35:18to kill
35:19Derek
35:20to rob him.
35:23This was a very
35:24frenzied
35:25brutal killing
35:27straight from
35:28the Hegarty playbook.
35:30What he did
35:31was he beat
35:32his so-called
35:33best friend
35:34around the head.
35:41He had a slow
35:42and painful death.
35:44It took Derek
35:45one and a half
35:46hours
35:46to die
35:47and all the time
35:49Hegarty was there
35:51by his side.
35:54This is an
35:55out of the blue
35:56anger
35:57from Hegarty
35:58probably driven
35:59by his need
36:00to pay off his debts
36:01but also
36:02out of envy.
36:12Hegarty refused
36:13to admit
36:13to the murder
36:14let alone
36:15a motive
36:16for it
36:16but it seemed
36:17clear that money
36:18was at the centre
36:20of the vicious attack.
36:22He was skint.
36:23He owed people
36:25money all over
36:26Cardiff.
36:27On the day
36:28of the murder
36:29and days following
36:30he paid off
36:31a lot of his debts
36:32with money
36:33that he'd got
36:34from Derek.
36:35Witnesses describe him
36:36as being flush
36:37with money.
36:39It didn't seem
36:41to occur to him
36:43that somebody
36:44might say
36:44where did that
36:45money come from
36:46you've been in
36:46debt for ages
36:47how have you
36:49suddenly got
36:49the means
36:50to pay
36:51that off?
36:53I just
36:54don't think
36:55Hegarty
36:56is very clever.
37:03not only
37:05did investigators
37:06believe
37:06Hegarty
37:07murdered
37:07his so-called
37:08friend
37:09but they
37:09also believed
37:10he took
37:11multiple steps
37:12to try and
37:13cover up
37:14what he'd
37:14done.
37:16It's clear
37:17from the timeline
37:18that Derek's
37:19body was kept
37:20in the flat
37:22for some time
37:23because it was
37:24two days later
37:25that Derek's
37:26body was found
37:27in the blazing
37:28car in
37:29Whitchurch.
37:31This man
37:32I think
37:33enjoys the
37:34violence so
37:35much
37:36everything else
37:38kind of
37:38just goes
37:39a blank
37:40for him
37:41and he
37:42panics afterwards
37:43and just tries
37:43to deal with it
37:44afterwards in
37:45whatever way
37:45he can.
37:48Hegarty
37:48had committed
37:49a very brutal
37:50murder.
37:51What we know
37:51is that he
37:52made not
37:53terribly
37:53successful
37:54but extensive
37:55efforts
37:55to clear
37:56up the
37:57blood
37:57to try
37:58and cover
37:58his tracks
37:59but he
37:59had a
37:59problem.
38:00He was
38:01in a
38:01flat
38:01in a
38:02busy
38:02area
38:02of
38:03Cardiff
38:03and there
38:04was a
38:04dead
38:04body
38:05on
38:05his
38:05sofa.
38:09Philip
38:09Hegarty
38:10wrapped
38:11Derek
38:11in the
38:12carpet
38:13and had
38:13to carry
38:14it out
38:14of his
38:15flat
38:15to
38:16the
38:16car
38:16in
38:17the
38:17street
38:17so
38:18he
38:18had
38:18to
38:19hide
38:19the
38:19feet
38:20and
38:20hide
38:20the
38:21head.
38:22Prosecutors
38:23believed that
38:24in Hegarty's
38:25efforts to
38:25disguise the
38:26crime scene
38:27he left
38:28behind a
38:28trail of
38:29evidence
38:29which they
38:30were now
38:31ready to
38:31present to
38:32a jury
38:32in the
38:33courtroom.
38:35In July
38:362004
38:37the trial
38:39began at
38:40Swansea
38:40Crown Court.
38:47The
38:48prosecution
38:48had a
38:49very good
38:50case
38:50against
38:51Philip
38:51Hegarty.
38:52They
38:53had all
38:53the
38:53forensic
38:54evidence
38:54that
38:55scenes
38:56of
38:56crimes
38:56officer
38:56had
38:57gathered
38:57from
38:57Hegarty's
38:58fat.
38:59The
38:59blood,
39:00the
39:00fibres,
39:01the
39:01dog
39:02hairs
39:02from
39:02the
39:02carpet
39:03that
39:03was
39:03used
39:04to
39:04wrap
39:04Derek's
39:05body.
39:06The
39:07evidence
39:07in this
39:07case
39:08wasn't
39:08just
39:08circumstantial
39:09it
39:09was
39:10overwhelming.
39:16Despite
39:17the odds
39:18being
39:18heavily
39:18stacked
39:19against
39:19him
39:20Philip
39:20Hegarty
39:21pleaded
39:21not
39:22guilty.
39:25He
39:26did
39:26put
39:26forward
39:27a
39:27defence
39:27although
39:28it
39:28was
39:29very
39:29weak.
39:31He
39:31said
39:31that
39:31there
39:32were
39:32heavies
39:32drug
39:33heavies
39:33that
39:34Derek
39:35was
39:35afraid
39:36of
39:36and
39:37they
39:37must
39:37have
39:37come
39:37and
39:38killed
39:39him
39:39and
39:39murdered
39:40him
39:40and
39:40left
39:40his
39:40body
39:41in
39:41a
39:41car.
39:42He
39:43spent
39:43days
39:44trying
39:44to
39:44create
39:45false
39:45alibis.
39:46It
39:47was
39:47ridiculous.
39:48He
39:48also
39:48said
39:48he
39:49didn't
39:49know
39:49the
39:49area
39:50of
39:50woodchurch
39:50in
39:51Cardiff
39:51so
39:51how
39:52could
39:52he
39:52possibly
39:53leave
39:54a
39:54dead
39:54body
39:55in
39:55a
39:55blazing
39:55car
39:56there?
39:57Hegarty
39:58would have
39:58continued
39:59to
39:59deny
40:00everything
40:01whilst
40:01there
40:01was
40:02the
40:02slightest
40:03chance
40:03that
40:03he
40:03might
40:04have
40:04got
40:05off.
40:05Simple
40:06as
40:06that.
40:07Derek's
40:08partner
40:09Colleen
40:09sat in
40:10the courtroom
40:10hearing
40:11Hegarty's
40:12passionate
40:12denial
40:13day in
40:14day out.
40:16Every day
40:17I'd go to
40:17the courts
40:18in Swansea
40:20and he'd
40:21walk past
40:21and they nearly
40:22took him back
40:23out of the court
40:23because he spoke
40:24to me.
40:26He just said
40:27out loud
40:28I promise you
40:29I didn't do it.
40:34After 27
40:35days the
40:36trial
40:37concluded
40:37and on
40:39the 23rd
40:40of July
40:402004
40:41the jury
40:43were ready
40:43to deliver
40:44their verdict.
40:47It only
40:48took them
40:48a day
40:49and a half.
40:49They came
40:50back into
40:50court
40:51and told
40:52the judge
40:53Mr Justice
40:53Roderick Evans
40:54that they
40:55had a
40:55verdict.
40:56That verdict
40:57was guilty.
40:58Hegarty
40:59was guilty.
41:00of murder.
41:02Finally
41:03Philip Hegarty
41:04would be
41:05back behind
41:06bars.
41:07When it
41:08came to
41:08sentencing
41:09the judge
41:10spoke of
41:10the 49
41:11year old's
41:12continued
41:12duplicity.
41:14Sentencing
41:15Hegarty
41:16Mr Justice
41:16Roderick Evans
41:18turned to
41:19him and
41:19said that
41:19he was a
41:20very dangerous
41:21violent
41:22man
41:23a manipulative
41:25and resourceful
41:26liar.
41:27In Hegarty's
41:28case
41:29the judge
41:30said
41:30life
41:31should
41:32mean
41:32life.
41:33He
41:33imposed
41:34a whole
41:35life
41:35tariff.
41:37Whole
41:38life
41:39tariffs
41:39are
41:40reserved
41:40only for
41:42the
41:43most
41:44serious
41:45of
41:46offenders.
41:47There's
41:48probably
41:48only about
41:5070
41:50of them
41:52because
41:54we only
41:55use them
41:56in the
41:56most
41:57extreme
41:57circumstances.
42:01When I
42:02heard the
42:02sentence
42:03I thought
42:04my life
42:05can carry
42:05on.
42:06My life
42:06can go
42:07make a new
42:08normal
42:10because my
42:10old normal's
42:11gone now.
42:14how do you
42:15get a new
42:16normal?
42:16You've got
42:17to work
42:17hard.
42:19For
42:20Derek's
42:20family the
42:21ordeal was
42:22finally over.
42:27But they
42:28would never
42:28get their
42:29partner and
42:30father back.
42:32The two
42:32children Derek
42:33and I have
42:34together they
42:35definitely felt
42:37what it's like
42:38growing up
42:38without a
42:39dad.
42:41The younger
42:42one has
42:43no photos
42:44with his
42:44dad.
42:45No memories,
42:46no nothing.
42:48And definitely
42:49doesn't heal.
42:50But it makes
42:51it easier to
42:52cope with as
42:52well.
42:54So all I've
42:55got to do is
42:56just keep
42:57living my
42:57life with
42:58my families
43:00and my
43:00life will get
43:01to where it
43:01should be.
43:05Philip Hegarty
43:06murdered Derek
43:07Bennett with
43:08little regard
43:09for his
43:10friend or
43:11his friend's
43:12family.
43:13This was a
43:14story of a
43:15Jekyll and
43:16Hyde character
43:17who was all
43:18short of money
43:19and wouldn't
43:20stop at
43:21anything to
43:22get what he
43:22wanted to get
43:23that money.
43:28He's used
43:29violence to his
43:29advantage throughout
43:30his life.
43:31The public
43:32should be
43:33protected from
43:33a man who's
43:34entirely capable
43:35of violence at
43:36a moment's
43:37notice.
43:38When Derek
43:39said goodbye
43:40to Colleen and
43:41his children
43:42that Friday
43:42night, he
43:43couldn't have
43:44known what
43:44his so-called
43:45friend was
43:46capable of.
43:47Philip Hegarty
43:48brutally murdered
43:49Derek for no
43:50other reason
43:51than pure greed,
43:52which is why
43:53Hegarty will
43:54forever be
43:55remembered as
43:56one of Britain's
43:57most evil
43:58killers.
44:00thanks!
44:02See you next
44:02.
44:02.
44:02.
44:02.
44:04.
44:30Transcription by CastingWords
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