Stately home murder suspect hunt

27 May 2011 Last updated at 18:18 GMT Martin Collett had been in a relationship Angela Hoyt Police have searched the grounds of a stately home in Hertfordshire for a man suspected of murdering his former partner.

The body of 34-year-old Red Cross worker Angela Hoyt was found at her home in Glebeland, Hatfield on Tuesday.

About 30 officers searched the grounds of Hatfield House after reported sightings of Martin Collett, 35.

Police believe he has connections in a number of places including Southampton, Bristol and Stratford-upon-Avon.

They had earlier said Mr Collett could be anywhere in the UK.

Det Ch Insp Mark Ross of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit thanked members of the public who had given the force information.

He added: "Understandably this is an extremely difficult time for Angela's family and it is vitally important we trace Martin Collett as soon as possible."

Ms Hoyt's family in Canada alerted police following concerns about her which led officers to break into her home.

She is thought to have died between 22 and 24 May.

Ms Hoyt was born in Windsor, Ontario, and moved to the UK in 1999.

Angela Hoyt had been working for the Red Cross in Pakistan

She is survived by her parents, Barb and Dwight Hoyt, her identical twin sister Ami Watanabe and Ami's husband Garry, and niece and nephew Tori and Kai.

In a statement released through Hertfordshire Police, Ms Hoyt's family said: "Angela was a very ambitious and driven girl.

"She had a passion for human rights and wanted to use her work to help improve the lives of those less fortunate. She had strong opinions and convictions."

'Thoughtful treasures'

Ms Hoyt had recently returned from a three-month role in Pakistan as part of her work with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

She had been working as a public affairs and communications adviser for the organisation since February 2008.

Her family added: "Her niece and nephew were a great source of pride and she was an awesome aunt to them.

"She always picked up very thoughtful treasures for them on her travels. She was very close to her parents and twin sister.

"Angela had an infectious smile; it lit up the room."

Officers have not released any further details about how Ms Hoyt died.

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Milly Dowler father 'was suspect'

16 May 2011 Last updated at 16:44 GMT Notes by Milly in which she said she was unhappy, were read out in court Milly Dowler's father was a suspect in her disappearance after police found bondage material at their family home in Surrey, the Old Bailey has heard.

Bob Dowler broke down in tears while giving evidence in the trial of Levi Bellfield, who is accused of murdering the 13-year-old.

Notes by Milly in which she said she was unhappy, were read out in court.

Bellfield, 42, denies abducting and murdering Milly and attempting to kidnap another girl in March 2002.

The court heard that police had informed Mr Dowler he was a suspect after his daughter disappeared.

'I am sorry'

He had told officers that his daughter had found a bondage magazine in his bedroom.

But he denied having anything to do with his daughter's disappearance.

Defending Bellfield, Jeffrey Samuels QC cross-examined Mr Dowler, an IT consultant, and asked whether it was right that Mr Dowler became the focus of the police inquiries for a time.

Mr Dowler answered: "That is correct."

He also said he had considered this to be a waste of time.

"I was very concerned because I knew if they focused on me, they need[ed] to be focused on someone else," he said.

The court heard how a poem and letter had been found in Milly's bedroom.

Mr Samuels read out part of a letter which said: "All they do is slag me off and force everyone else against me.

"I am not pretty or fit, what do they have that I haven't? Let's face it, I am just totally shit."

A second note read: "Dear daddy and my beautiful mummy, by the time you find this letter I will be gone. It would be best for you to try to forget me. I will always love you.

Milly lived in Walton Park with her parents and older sister

"I am sorry but lots of love, your little disappointment."

In one of the notes, Milly wrote how a friend Jess her helped through "this whole dad thing", jurors heard.

Mr Dowler said he could only think she was referring to "something in the bottom drawer of a chest of drawers".

He said: "In looking for the item she pulled the whole drawer out and underneath the drawer discovered a pornographic magazine."

When asked to describe the magazine, Mr Dowler said it was "probably extreme pornographic material, a fetish nature, latex and bondage".

He told the court other porn had been found in the house by police, including videos in the lounge, and bondage equipment including a rubber hood and ball in the loft.

More porn magazines had been marked in a way that indicated he had made inquiries or had used services, jurors heard.

Mr Dowler was asked what impact the items would have had on his daughter and said she would have become "most distressed".

He agreed he had told police it would have been "a complete betrayal as a father".

But he also told officers he had "no involvement whatsoever" in Milly's disappearance, the court heard.

Sally Dowler, Milly's mother, told the court she thought her daughter had found the magazine about two months previously.

She said: "I said to her: 'It doesn't mean that daddy doesn't love me'. I am sorry she had found it."

Remains found

The prosecution claims Bellfield tried to abduct Rachel Cowles, who was 11 years old, on 20 March 2002.

It is alleged he drove off after trying to abduct the girl when he saw a police car and that he went on to murder Milly the next day.

Milly disappeared on 21 March 2002 in Station Avenue, Walton-on-Thames, near Bellfield's home in Collingwood Place.

The jury has been told she had just called her father to say she was on her way home.

Her remains were found six months later.

Bellfield, a former wheelclamper and club bouncer, was convicted at the Old Bailey in 2008 of attacks on women in west London over a period of about two years.

He was convicted of killing Marsha McDonnell, 19, in February 2003 and Amelie Delagrange, 22, in August 2004, by striking them on their heads with a blunt instrument.

In May 2004, he attempted to murder Kate Sheedy, 18, by deliberately running her over in a car.

The case was adjourned until Tuesday.

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Police 'wanted beheading suspect'

16 May 2011 Last updated at 18:16 GMT A security guard managed to wrestle the suspect to the ground, witnesses said An arrest warrant was issued for a Bulgarian man three days before he allegedly stabbed and beheaded a UK woman in a Tenerife shop.

The BBC's Sarah Rainsford said a magistrate had ordered his arrest in connection with a violent attack.

Deyan Valentinov Deyanov, 28, was sent to a psychiatric unit following his arrest on suspicion of killing Jennifer Mills-Westley, 60, in Los Cristianos.

A local job office denied reports that she sought help before Friday's attack.

The denial, by the head of the job office, comes after media reports suggested Mrs Mills-Westley, originally from Norfolk, had sought refuge in the building minutes before she was killed.

Police spokeswoman Piedad Lozar told the BBC the Bulgarian man was arrested in January following an alleged assault in which he was said to have punched a man in the mouth and knocked his teeth out.

She said Mr Deyanov was admitted to a psychiatric unit for assessment the following month after residents complained about what they regarded as erratic behaviour.

Mrs Mills-Westley had retired some years ago, her family said

He was later discharged but had to go to court every month to sign in with magistrates, as one of the bail conditions related to the alleged assault.

A detention order was issued on 10 May after he failed to appear at the court and it was received by the police two days after.

The spokeswoman said such orders "usually take several days to reach them".

As the order in this case did not come to the police marked as urgent, as some do, she said there was no reason for officers to believe he was dangerous.

The spokeswoman said: "This was not an urgent issue. There are more important things to deal with. We couldn't predict what would happen."

Police on the island have said Mr Deyanov had been arrested on two previous occasions - for criminal damage to property, and causing bodily injury.

One of Mrs Mills-Westley's two daughters, Sarah, said her mother had been "full of life, generous of heart and would do anything for anyone".

"We now have to find a way of living without her love and light and we would ask at this difficult time for some privacy as we try to come to terms with our loss," she said.

She said her mother was enjoying her retirement, travelling between Tenerife and France and visiting her other daughter in Norfolk.

Silent attack

Ms Mills-Westley retired to Tenerife after working as a road safety officer at Norfolk County Council.

Council leader Derrick Murphy said the news was "absolutely devastating" for those who used to work with her.

"We offer our sincere and deepest sympathies to Jenny's friends and family, in particularly her two daughters and five grandchildren," he said.

"As you can imagine, the terrible news obviously has come as a great shock to us. She was an incredibly well-respected member of the staff."

Ms Mills-Westley's former neighbour, Stella Watts, said she was a "kind, lovely lady" who used to take her to hospital to visit her sick partner.

Local officials have been analysing CCTV footage of the attack which shows a man walking into the supermarket - which sells Chinese food and tourist souvenirs.

Witnesses said the man attacked the woman without saying a word.

Local councillor Manuel Reveron said: "The man entered the shop and then cut this woman's neck and took the head in his hand outside."

"The woman died, unfortunately, because he was not well in the head. That's why this happened. I don't think there was any lack of vigilance by either the courts or the police," he added.

Following the attack, a security guard managed to wrestle the man to the ground, Mr Reveron said.

In a video posted on YouTube, Colin Kirby of Tenerifemagazine.com said security guards held down the suspect until the police arrived.

Christina Perez, a legal representative at a nearby court, said she and her colleagues ran indoors for safety.

"Everybody is shocked. It's a very safe area. You can usually go anywhere you want in the day or at night. This is really not normal."

Eyewitness Colin Kirby describes the aftermath of the attack in Tenerife

Dominica Fernandez, of the Regional Interior Ministry, said the attack appeared to be random and that the suspect was well known in the area.

Regional newspaper La Opinion said the suspect had received treatment at the psychiatric unit of a local hospital in February after being involved in previous violent incidents.

The Mayor of Arona, Jose Alberto Gonzalez Reveron, said if Mr Deyanov had been in prison, this would not have happened.

"I would have liked to see the police react much sooner, to have prevented this murder, but I can't judge how they acted."

"This was a question of terrible bad luck. It could have happened to anyone."

The BBC's Maddy Savage said this kind of violence was extremely rare in the Canary Islands which attract more than 10 million tourists each year.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Consular officials in Tenerife are in contact with local authorities about this tragic incident and our condolences go out to the family at this difficult time."

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