Man charged with backpacker's murder
A man has been charged with the murder of British backpacker Caroline Stuttle, who was thrown to her death from a bridge during a robbery in Australia last year.
Ian Douglas Previtt, 30, appeared in court in Bundaberg, Queensland today, charged with murder and robbery. Previtt, who was already serving a sentence for a previous crime, was remanded in custody for a committal hearing on 29 April.
Sources said the breakthrough in the 10-month investigation came when Queensland police received information that Previtt had boasted about Caroline's killing to another prison inmate. Detectives are confident that DNA evidence, from saliva found on the bridge, will prove their case.
Caroline, 19, died of head and spinal injuries last April after falling from the Burnett River Road Bridge in Bundaberg, where she had gone on a working holiday.
Caroline was walking back from Bundaberg town centre at around 9.30pm on 10 April last year when her attacker struck and bundled her over the iron railings of the bridge. Nobody witnessed the attack, but neighbours and a passing motorist told police they had heard Caroline's screams.
A post mortem revealed she died from a broken neck and severe head injuries. She was still clutching the broken strap of her bag, which was stolen in the attack.
Caroline's family in York have been kept informed of the breakthrough. Her father, Alan, praised the police for not giving up. He said: "They've been doing so much hard work and things are coming to fruition."
