Police allege DNA, selfie videos link ‘running man’ Paul Clarke to alleged murder

DNA samples and ‘selfies’ allegedly link a man known as the Running Man to the bashing murder of a Central Coast grandfather, a court has heard.

Paul Thelton William Clarke, often referred to as “the running man” because he was well known for jogging shirtless on the Central Coast, was not required to appear via video link when his matter was mentioned briefly at Wyong Local Court on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old, of Berkeley Vale, is charged with the murder of 70-year-old grandfather Allen Lambert who was allegedly bashed to death with a baseball bat at his Chittaway Bay home on November 2 last year.

Mr Clarke is also charged with damaging the door to a holding cell at Wyong Police Station after his arrest the following day.

Paul Clarke was charged with murdering Allen Lambert at Chittaway Bay. Picture: Facebook

Police will allege in court Mr Clarke had worked as a labourer at a building site next-door to Mr Lambert’s Trigg Rd address where the grandfather had complained about foul language and the behaviour of some of the construction workers a few months earlier.

Police will further allege Mr Clarke confided in a former employer and friend he was going to “take him out” before attending Mr Lambert’s address dressed in a dark jacket, trousers and sneakers at 8.44pm.

Police allege Mr Clarke banged on the front door of Mr Lambert’s house before he forced his way inside and allegedly struck the elderly man 20 times with a “Louisville Slugger” baseball bat while the man’s terrified wife, 67, screamed “stop you’re killing him”.

Mr Clarke allegedly fled the scene but was arrested returning to his own address at Lorraine Ave, Berkeley Vale, the following day.

Mr Lambert’s home on Trigg Rd, Chittaway Bay, where he was allegedly murdered by Mr Clarke.

Police recovered a baseball bat wrapped in a dark blue spray jacket from a nearby garden.

The court heard DNA samples taken from the bat and Mr Clarke’s clothing returned matches for both himself and Mr Lambert.

The court also heard police recovered Mr Clarke’s phone and found a series of “selfie videos” including one on the afternoon of the alleged killing in which Mr Clarke states “listen Allen” and “I’ll kick your f..ing door in and get rid of ya’s”.

Police also recovered another selfie video shot the following morning, in which Mr Clarke is seen tapping the Louisville Slugger baseball bat to the side of his head while stating “not bad, not bad, didn’t even get a scratch on her, didn’t even chip the paint”.

In another video later that morning Mr Clarke is seen stating “you’ve all f’d me” and “I’m going batterin’ people with a f’n baseball bat”.

Allen Lambert, 70, of Chittaway, was allegedly murdered during a violent home invasion on Melbourne Cup day, November 2, 2021. Picture: Facebook

Mr Clarke has not entered a plea and the matter will return to Wyong Local Court on February 22.