A Romanian man has today appeared in court accused of murdering 86-year-old Freda Walker and attempting to murder her 88-year-old husband Ken.
Dressed in a grey sweatshirt and grey jogging bottoms, Vasile Culea, 33, spoke through a Romanian interpreter to confirm his name, address and date of birth.
Flanked by two security guards, he remained standing throughout the five-minute hearing as a legal advisor read out the charges at Nottingham Magistrates Court.
They stated that on the January 14, he murdered Freda Walker and attempted to murder Kenneth Walker.
Vasile Culea has appeared in court charged with killing Freda Walker and the attempted murder of Kenneth (pictured together) at their home in Langwith Junction in Derbyshire
Prosecutor Callum Morris said that Culea was charged with, 'the most serious of crimes. You will be aware that this matter must be heard in the crown court.'
Lead magistrate Simon Robinson ordered the security to 'take him down'. He will next appear at Derby Crown Court on Tuesday.
It was last Saturday morning that a concerned neighbour found the bodies of Freda, said to be a pillar of the local community in Langwith Junction in Derbyshire, and Ken, a current Shirebrook Town councillor, in their semi-detached home.
Freda was pronounced dead at the scene while her husband was found to have life threatening injuries. He remains critically ill in hospital.
Culea was arrested in Church Warsop, Nottinghamshire in the early hours of Thursday morning. Police and forensic workers were seen outside a property in the area
Culea, 33, spoke through a Romanian interpreter to confirm his name, address and date of birth at Nottingham Magistrates' Court. He will next appear at Derby Crown Court on Tuesday
Culea, whose Facebook page describes him as coming from Oltenita, a city in central Romania, was arrested at his home in Church Warsop, Nottinghamshire in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Church Warsop is just three miles from the Derbyshire town of Langwith Junction where the crime is alleged to have taken place.
Locals say they believed he worked at the vast Sports Direct plant in Shirebrook, known
