Man suspected of fatally shooting wife outside pub on Valentine's Day rang friend and said 'she's dead'
18 February 2025, 16:09
A man accused of shooting his wife outside a pub on Valentine's Day phoned his friend and revealed what he had done, according to reports.
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Lisa Smith, 43, was with a female friend when she was killed outside the Three Horseshoes pub in Knockholt, Kent, on Friday evening.
A CCTV camera nearby captured the sound of three gunshots, followed by shouting and screaming.
The mother of two's partner - named locally as Edvard Smith - is understood to be the main suspect in the shooting.
Mr Smith called Leslie Thompson less than two hours after the shooting and told him: “She's dead, I love you. I'll see you on the other side,” the BBC has now reported.
Police said officers believed Mr Smith then drove to the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, near Dartford, and entered the River Thames.
His body has not been found after more than three days of searches along the river.
Mr Thompson said his friend told him: "I can't live, we've all gone together" and that "armed police will probably shoot me".
He believed his friend had suffered a breakdown, and had been greatly affected by the death of his father two years ago.
Mr Thompson said he could not understand what had happened.
"They were both the life and soul of the party. We really don't know why he has done it. I'm baffled," he said.
Read more: Mother-of-two shot dead at pub on Valentines’ Day is named - as tributes paid to ‘wonderful mum’
Police said call handlers had received reports of a man "on the wrong side of the barrier" on the bridge on Friday.
In a statement on Monday the force said he had "fallen" into the river.
The search operation has involved the Coastguard, RNLI, London Fire Brigade drones and a Metropolitan Police boat team.
A car and gun, linked to the suspect, were found "next to the Dartford crossing", the police said.
Michelle Thomas, who runs The Three Horseshoes said she was preparing for the Valentine's dinner service when she heard two loud bangs that she initially thought were fireworks.
Around 30 people were at the pub for dinner, while 20 more were in the bar as the incident unfolded just after 7pm, she said.
"People were only just starting to sit down, it was early on in the evening," she told Sky.
She also described how an off-duty firearms officer intervened to get the situation under control.
She told the broadcaster the victim had been to the pub before but "wasn't a regular".
It is understood neither the suspect or victim were from Kent but had local connections to the area.
