Murder case adjourned (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Murder case adjourned

A SOUTH Newton man charged, along with two other men, with the murder of a millionaire and four members of his family, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday.

Kenneth Regan (54), from Forge Close, South Newton, who is also known as Kenneth Avery, was extradited from Belgium last week.

He made his first appearance before a judge at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.

Regan was remanded in custody until Friday, when he appeared in the dock again with accountant William Horncy (51) and Peter Rees (38).

The three men are accused of five murders after the bodies of 46-year-old businessman Amarjit Chochan, of Sutton Road, Hounslow, Middlesex and his wife, Nancy (25) were washed up off the Dorset coast last year.

The couple's two sons, three-month-old Ravinder and 18-month-old Devinder, are still missing, along with Mr Chochan's mother, Charanjit Kaur (51).

Regan, who is unemployed, Horncy and Rees are charged with the kidnap and false imprisonment of Mr Chochan.

They are also charged with preventing or conspiring to prevent the lawful and decent burial of a dead body, namely that of Mr Chochan.

Mr Chochan, from Hounslow, west London, whose CIBA Freight business had an annual turnover of £4.5m, was last seen on February 16 last year in Salisbury. His body was discovered by a canoeist, near Bournemouth Pier, on April 22 last year. His wife was later found in Poole Bay.

Horncy, unemployed, of Adeline Road, Bournemouth and Rees, of King's Close, Rowlands Castle, Portsmouth, have already denied the five murders.

Regan was to enter pleas on Friday, but the hearing was adjourned for the men to attend a plea and directions hearing on May 28.

They were remanded in custody by the judge, Sir Stephen Mitchell. An October 11 trial date has been fixed.