Stockport woman accused of murder after garden body find Published duration 11 January 2018

image copyright Getty Images image caption The woman is also charged with preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body and fraud

A woman has appeared in court accused of murdering a man 12 years ago after police found a body buried in a garden in Greater Manchester.

Barbara Coombes, 63, is also charged with preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body and fraud.

Remains, believed to be those of her father Kenneth Coombes, were found in Reddish, Stockport on Tuesday.

Ms Coombes, of Reddish, was remanded in custody by magistrates and is due at Manchester Crown Court on Friday.

At Manchester Magistrates' Court Ms Coombes, of Matlock Road, spoke only to confirm her details and did not enter a plea.

'Carer claim'

She is accused of killing Mr Coombes in January 2006 and preventing the lawful and decent burial of his body between his death and 10 January 2018.

She is also accused of fraud in the same period through dishonestly making a false representation by sending official letters in the name of Mr Coombes, intending to make a gain by claiming monies not belonging to herself.

The final charge is obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception between 7 January 7 2006 and 15 January 2007, by making a false representation that she was a carer for Mr Coombes.

Inquiries began on Sunday, after police said a woman walked into a police station in South Manchester and told officers she killed a man several years ago and had buried him in the garden.

After a forensic search at the property in Matlock Road, police handed questionnaires to neighbours to ask them if they remember Mr Coombes, who was born on 9 January 1919.

Police said the remains have not yet been formally identified and results of a post-mortem examination have not been released.