Simon Benfield, 44, entered no plea at the Magistrate’s Court in Guernsey this afternoon. He spoke only to confirm his name and home address.
Mr Benfield was charged by Guernsey Police yesterday morning, following the discovery of the body of Hannah Benfield, nee Cox, in a search and rescue operation in the early hours of Monday in the area of Alderney cliffs locally known as The Guns.
He has been remanded in custody after defence advocate Samuel Steel did not oppose a request from the prosecution.
Judge Marc Davies said that due to the seriousness of the charge the case would be committed for a Royal Court trial. The defendant was remanded until a committal hearing on 28 October.
Detective Superintendent Jonathan Bancroft of Guernsey Police said that officers and specialist staff will remain in the island over the coming days to both continue enquiries and to provide a visible police presence and reassurance to islanders.
‘We recognise that Alderney has a strong identity of its own and that an event of this nature will be felt particularly deeply across such a close-knit community,’ he said.
Police continue to encourage anyone in the island who has information which they think might help the investigation, however insignificant it might seem, to talk to one of the officers in the island or contact Guernsey Police.
‘We are grateful for the continued cooperation and support of the Alderney community and our partner agencies throughout the response and investigation,’ said DS Bancroft.
‘Our thoughts remain with Hannah’s family at this very difficult time.’
With criminal proceedings now active, he reminded the public that nothing should be published that could prejudice these proceedings.
‘We would also ask people to avoid speculation or commentary about the circumstances of the case and allow the court process to take its course.’
