The undisputed facts surrounding Lee Balkwell's death

On Wednesday the 17th of July 2002, 33 year old Lee William Balkwell, a keen golfer and family man, went to work at 07.30 a.m. Lee drove a concrete mixer lorry for Upminster Concrete who were based at Baldwin's Farm, Dennis's Lane, Upminster, Essex. (Map reference number 39VD70) Lee spoke to his Father Les at regular intervals throughout the day via his mobile phone. Lee seemed to be his normal, happy go lucky self and talked mainly about Golf. Lee arranged to go to his Fathers home after work to help him move some old fashioned Arga ovens.

He estimated his time of arrival at being 7pm. when he hadn't arrived by 9pm Les telephoned Lees mobile but it was switched off. Les telephoned Lees partner and she informed him that Lee had called earlier to say he was working late because he had to clean the inside of his lorries mixing drum. This work was being carried out outside the homes (2 bungalows alongside one another) of the Bromley family who Lee worked for.

The distance from the lorry to their front doors was approximately 20 yards and the area is monitored by several CCTV cameras which were all on record mode that night. The Lorries large mixer drum is entered by climbing into the hole where the concrete comes out. Once inside, the operative is passed an air powered or electric Kango hammer drill. This is used to break off any hardened or excess concrete in order to keep the drum clean.

The drum also has two inspection hatches. These hatches are circular, approximately 24" x "14 and are secured by bolts. CCTV footage from the 17th of July proves that the inspection covers were still in place at 9.15pm. Lee had started work in the drum at approximately 7.30pm. He was working alongside Simon Bromley whose father David owns Upminster concrete. This business is not the only income the Bromley family enjoys.

Also present around this time was family friend and henchman Glen Nicholls. At 9.05pm, the lorry was moved a few feet to a water supply point so that the dust created by Lee working in the drum could be dampened down. That night the temperature inside the drum was estimated to be as high as 100 degrees. Lee was described by a friend who saw him at work that night as being; "soaked in sweat". He is described as wearing a T-shirt/vest, blue jeans and working boots.

At 01.03hrs a member of the Bromley family dialed 999 and requested an ambulance to attend Upminster concrete as Lee was trapped in the drum. For reasons known only to him, Glen Nicholls had left the scene, a precise time of departure is not known. The ambulance crew who were from the London Ambulance service (LAS) arrived at 01.20hrs. The Essex ambulance service, whose area this was, failed to attend initially because they had been delayed at an earlier incident. The LAS crew attached a defibrillator to Lee and declared him Asystole (flat-line) at 01.23hrs.

Lee's body was trapped between the chassis and the drum of the lorry so the LAS crew requested the fire service and police officers attend so that his body could be freed. At this time the only significant people in the immediate vicinity (i.e. people in the Bromley's bungalows or near the lorry) were David Bromley, his wife Linda Bromley, Scott Bromley, his partner Susan Lawrence and the LAS crew.

The area is remote, secluded and it was dark. The only sight and sound was the blue flashing lights from the ambulance and the wailing of its siren when it arrived. Despite this commotion and the fact an employee had lost his life outside their front door, Linda Bromley, Sue Lawrence and Scott Bromley were nowhere to be seen. As soon as the LAS ambulance arrived, David Bromley was captured on CCTV leaving the scene in a pick up truck.

Some people who have viewed the footage believe a second person can be seen sitting up from a crouched person in the passenger seat as the vehicle leaves the yard and is about to leave the area covered by the CCTV cameras. As the final emergency service vehicle arrives, some 50-60 minutes after the incident was first reported, Sue Lawrence is captured on CCTV walking purposefully towards the vehicle where Lee is trapped.

Moments later she is seen being led back to her home in an apparent "distressed" state. Thirty to forty minutes after leaving the scene in his pick up truck, David Bromley is seen returning to the scene alone. He has never been asked where he went, he has never been asked if anybody was with him when he left and he has never been asked, why, as the employer of Lee and owner of the lorry and premises the incident occurred on, did he leave without offering, advice, assistance or support to the emergency services? Could the mystery passenger in his vehicle have been his son Scott Bromley who was undoubtedly present before Lee's death but certainly absent thereafter?

After examining the scene, Superintendent Gareth Wilson (based out of the area at Stanway, Colchester but on call that night.) declared a crime scene, secured the scene and started a scene log. He then ordered certain actions to be carried out, these included :

1. Interviews and statements from all Emergency service personnel present on the scene.

2. Interviews and statements from all other significant witnesses present.

SUPERINTENDENT GARETH WILSON LATER STATED:

"From the moment I arrived at Baldwin's farm that night, I was not happy with the scene I was presented with so I put the actions into place. If these actions were not carried out, I cannot be held responsible because I was relieved of my duties by Superintendent Graham Ball from Rayleigh Major Investigation Team (MIT) at 09.am on Thursday 18th July 2002."

THESE ACTIONS WERE NOT CARRIED OUT. SUPERINTENDENT WILSON MAY NOT BE RESPONSIBLE BUT THAT MEANS OTHERS UNDOUBTEDLY ARE BECAUSE THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO A MURDER BEING UNDETECTED AND THE PERPETRATORS GOING AS YET, UNPUNISHED.