Man who killed mum in Valentine’s Day pub taking pictures drowned in river after ‘falling’
WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Tribute’s have been paid to the ‘best’ mum who was gunned down in the carpark of a pub by her ‘intimate’ partner as the prime suspect is believed to have died after a car was found near a bridge
The man who killed a mum in a Valentines Day pub shooting is believed to have fallen into the Thames and drowned hours later. Lisa Smith, 43, was gunned down in the car park of The Three Horseshoes pub in Sevenoaks and pronounced dead at the scene.
Lisa Smith, 43, died from a gunshot wound to the neck, an inquest into her death at Oakwood House, Maidstone, heard today. The mum and grandmother is believed to have been killed by her partner, Edvard Stockings.
The prime suspect fled the scene in a car that was found later on Friday night at a bridge crossing the River Thames in Dartford, 17 miles away. Police said at the time that they had “total confidence” Stockings
David Higham told Kent Online on February 20: “We got good reliable witness evidence from witnesses that drove over the Dartford crossing and we got CCTV evidence as well which gives me total confidence that the suspect has fallen into the river. We had a sighting of a body but unfortunately we were unable to recover that before it became submerged again.
“I am confident from the description that it is the suspect for our offence.” He added: “The offender is well known to the female. They were in an intimate relationship.”
The incident happened just after 7pm on Valentines Day in front of horrified pubgoers. Police cordoned off the area around the pub and launched a murder probe.
Michelle Thomas, who runs the pub, told Sky News she heard two loud bangs that she initially “thought were fireworks” on the night of the shooting.
She described the aftermath, describing “so much commotion – screaming, shouting, crying” and adding the attack had left the community in “absolute shock”.
The inquest heard Ms Smith was married and lived in Walton Lane, Berkshire. The full inquest will be heard on September 17.
Lisa’s son paid tribute to his mother on Facebook. Teejay wrote: “My dear old mum never be another to walk in her shoes the best.”
Another tribute said: “Our love and prayers are with your family, especially your boys and your beautiful granddaughter.” A third mourner wrote: “RIP Lisa. May god give you the best bed in heaven.”
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