Newall murder charge

RODERICK Newall, the former army officer, was charged last night with the murder six years ago of his parents, writes Jason Bennetto.

Shortly after his arrival on Jersey after being extradited from Gibraltar the police began searching isolated woodland for the bodies of his parents, Nicholas and Elizabeth Newall. Police said Mr Newall was co- operating with their hunt.

The 28-year-old ex-Green Jackets lieutenant will appear before magistrates at St Helier, Jersey, tomorrow.

The charges were announced within hours of Newall's arrival under police escort on the island.

During the afternoon detectives began digging in a wooded area at Greve le Ducq in the north-west of the island. They halted their excavation at nightfall and the search will resume at first light today.

The police revealed yesterday that some glasses belonging to Mr Newall were discovered recently after a fire in a building near the site. The location is about 400 yards from where the Newalls lived before parents Nicholas and Elizabeth moved to St Brelade in the south-west of the island some two years before their disappearance.

Newall was arrested 15 months ago at sea off Morocco and was taken to Gibraltar.

His younger brother Mark, 26, a financier, who was extradited from France in April this year, is being held on remand on Jersey charged with the parents' murders.

Nicholas Newall, 56, a Lloyds underwriter, and his 46- year-old wife were last seen in October 1987 at a restaurant near their home where they had dinner with their two sons.

(Photograph omitted)