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Stepbrother Of Becky Watts Appears In Court

The stepbrother of Bristol teenager Becky Watts has been remanded in custody charged with her murder.

Nathan Matthews, appearing at Bristol Magistrates' Court, spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth.

Becky, 16, disappeared from her home in the St George area of the city on 19 February.

Matthews - unshaven and wearing a blue T-shirt - was handcuffed to a dock officer and led away after a one-minute hearing.

The 28-year-old will appear before Bristol Crown Court via video link on Friday.

His girlfriend, Shauna Hoare, 21, appeared after him in the same packed courtroom, charged with perverting the course of justice.

She was remanded in custody to appear before Bristol Crown Court on 2 April.

Four men and a woman in their 20s, who were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, remain in police custody after officers were given a second 24-hour extension to question them.

On Tuesday, police said they had found body parts at an address in the city after a massive search for the teenager that started on 20 February when her family reported her missing.

She left her house without telling anyone where was going, taking her phone, laptop and tablet computer, but not a change of clothes.

Becky's family members, including her uncles and aunt, have laid tributes at her home.

In an earlier statement, her mother Tania Watts, brother Daniel and grandmother Pat said they were "at an utter loss to understand why anyone would want to hurt our beautiful Becky in such a brutal way".

Two fundraising pages to help Becky's family pay for her funeral have received almost £9,000 in donations.