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Man in court over deaths of woman and child

Elizabeth Barrett,Press Association
Saturday 24 April 2010 11:14 BST

A man appeared in court today charged with murdering a woman and her two children nearly 30 years ago.

Wilbert Anthony Dyce, known as Tony, is accused of stabbing Norma Richards, 27, at her home in Hackney, north London in July 1982.

He allegedly killed her nine-year-old daughter Samantha with a knife, and drowned Syretta, who was seven.

Dyce, 54, from Forest Gate, east London, appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with three counts of murder.

Dyce, who stood in the dock wearing a striped shirt, brown jacket and beige trousers, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth during the brief hearing.

District judge Nicholas Evans ordered Dyce to be remanded in custody until a further hearing at London's Central Criminal Court on Tuesday April 27.

Detectives are appealing for anyone with information about the deaths to come forward.

The bodies of Ms Richards and her daughters were found at their home on the Kingsgate Estate, Dalston on July 19, 1982, where it is believed they had lain for two days.

No one was charged with their murders at the time, but last year the case was re-examined and Dyce was arrested in October.

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