Grandmother’s partner to face court accused of Tia murder

Stuart Hazell, 37, was charged yesterday following his arrest on Friday, hours after a body was discovered at the home he shares with Christine Sharp, in New Addington, near Croydon, south-east London.

Mrs Sharp, 46, was arrested on Saturday and held for questioning but later bailed, alongside 39-year-old Paul Meehan who was held by police on suspicion of assisting an offender.

The remains have yet to be formally identified and a post-mortem examination to establish cause of death, which began on Saturday, has not been concluded.

Hazell will appear via video link at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court in south London. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “Although officers await formal identification of a body found at 20 The Lindens on August 10, the alleged victim is named on the charge as 12-year-old Tia Sharp.

“Two others arrested in connection with the inquiry are bailed to return to a south London police station on dates in October, pending further inquiries – a 46-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of murder and a 39-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

“The post-mortem examination is expected to restart at some point the coming week.

“The decision on when to recommence is one for the pathologist.”

Despite visiting the property, at The Lindens, in New Addington, on several occasions the investigators only discovered Tia’s body on Friday afternoon as a forensic search of the property was under way.

Officers have since apologised to her mother Natalie for the delay in locating her body which they said resulted from “human error.”