The truth about Lee Balkwell's murder

In April 2006 Les Balkwell was approached by a criminal associate of the Bromley family who told him the circumstances in which Lee had met his death.

Lee had introduced somebody very close to him to the Bromley family. This person, who we shall call William, had told Lee that he was trying to obtain a kilo of cocaine on credit because his usual supplier had refused to deal with him anymore following a dispute. Lee, always keen to help another, knew the Bromley's supplied large amounts of cocaine and so asked them if they would be prepared to help William.

When Lee made the introduction he would not have been aware that if William defaulted on the debt for the cocaine, the Bromley's would hold him responsible for any monies due. William was subsequently supplied with approximately a kilo of cocaine with a value of £23.000.00p. William unsurprisingly, failed to pay the Bromley's for the drugs.

The Bromley's did not pursue Lee with the vigour they usually employed to hunt down those that owed them money. Lee worked for them so he was essentially on tap to be pressurised at their will. This bullying and threatening did take place up until the night Lee died. That night, the Bromley's went too far.

Earlier on in the evening the Bromley's received a large consignment of cocaine from their henchman Glen Nicholls. Much of the comings and goings of vehicles and persons involved in this transaction are captured on CCTV. As per usual with persons involved in this trade, the recipients tested the cocaine to see if it was of good quality. Before long, Nicholls and the Bromley's were high on the drug and their paranoid ranting turned to the subject of Lee and their debt.

Lee had left the yard at 23.35hrs but he returned at 00.01hrs with a Chinese take away meal. It was upon his return that he was confronted by the Bromley's. Only they know if they intended to murder Lee, but what is not in dispute is the fact that he did die at their hands. Fearing they would be found out, they telephoned a very well known crime family who live in nearby Thurrock and told them, "we have a body on our hands".

A senior member of this crime family then telephoned another Essex villain named Kim Webber who lived in Leigh on Sea near Southend. The problem was explained to Webber and he telephoned his friend Detective Sergeant John Moran, a corrupt police officer serving with the Rayleigh Major Investigation Team. Webber knew Moran would know exactly what to do and who to contact.

Shortly afterwards Moran and the Bromley's made contact. Lee was a man with strong family connections and so he couldn't just disappear from his workplace. It was decided the best way to mask the injuries he had suffered in the assault and to explain away his death was to feign an accident. Lee's body was carried to the mixer lorry, hauled up to the inspection hatch using his belt, so he appeared as if he had slipped half out and then the drum was rotated.

For the benefit of Lees loved ones, further details of how he died and suffered the injuries he later suffered have been withheld.