A man suspected of fatally shooting his wife outside a pub in Kent on Valentine’s Day made a chilling last call to a friend, it has been claimed.
Edvard Stockings, whose wife Lisa Smith was killed outside the Three Horseshoes in Knockholt on February 14, reportedly made a haunting call to a friend nearly two hours after the tragic shooting, shortly before he drove to the Queen Elizabeth II bridge near Dartford and disappeared.
Mr Stockings, also known by the surname Smith, reportedly said over the phone: “She’s dead, I love you. I’ll see you on the other side.”
Leslie Thompson, who knew Mr Stockings for 30 years, received the call at around 8:50pm, just under two hours after Ms Smith was shot.
He told the BBC that he thought his friend was having a breakdown, adding that he had been greatly affected by the death of his father two years ago.
Mr Stockings also reportedly said “I can’t live, we’ve all gone together” and “armed police will probably shoot me” in the phone call.
Kent Police said a car and a firearm linked to a suspect were found next to the Dartford Crossing. They also said a “man who was known to the victim” was reported to have been on the wrong side of the bridge barrier, and that officers were working to recover him from the water.
Authorities have not yet recovered Mr Thompson’s body after three days of searching, however.
Tributes to 43-year-old Ms Smith, who left behind two children, have gathered outside the Three Horseshoes, with notes remembering her as “lovely” and “an absolutely beautiful woman”.
Around 30 people were inside the pub when the incident unfolded just after 7pm on Valentine’s Day. Landlady Michelle Thomas said she was preparing the dinner service when she heard two loud bangs outside that she initially thought were fireworks.
Ms Thomas told Sky News that customers began “screaming, shouting and crying” as soon as they realised what had happened.