Man quizzed over double murder

12 April 2012

Detectives are continuing to question a man over the double murder of a disabled woman and her careworker.

David Tiley was detained in Swanage, Dorset, on Saturday in connection with the murders of 49-year-old Sue Hale and Sarah Merritt, 39, who were found at a flat in Meggeson Avenue, Southampton, Hants, on Thursday.

He was taken to a Hampshire police station for questioning, a spokeswoman said.

Police took the unusual step of naming the 47-year-old as their main suspect and releasing a picture of him late on Friday evening. He was arrested at 8am on Swanage seafront.

The double murder investigation was launched after the bodies of the two women were discovered at Ms Hale's flat at 5.20pm on Thursday.

Post mortem examinations on the two women revealed that they both died as a result of stab wounds.

Police had been alerted by Mrs Merritt's husband after the mother-of-two, who worked for agency Carewatch, failed to return home and he had spotted her car outside the property.

Officers broke into the flat and found the two women, who had been tied up.

The arrested man was Ms Hale's fiance, who lived at the one-bedroom ground floor flat with her.

Ms Hale suffered from cerebellar ataxia, a rare degenerative brain disorder which caused her difficulty walking and led to her using walking sticks and a mobility scooter to get around. Mrs Merritt was her care worker who visited twice a week to help bathe Ms Hale.

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