Two men appear in court charged with murder after torso found in woodland
ITV Granada's Emma Sweeney reports from Tameside Magistrates Court in Ashton-under-Lyne
Two men have appeared in court after being charged with the murder of a man whose remains were found in woodland in Salford.
Discoveries of body parts were made at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford, over the past three weeks. The first discovery was on 4 April.
Greater Manchester Police believe the victim was a man in his 60s from Salford.
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski, 70, and Marcin Majerkiewicz, 42, both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They appeared at Tameside Magistrates Court on Monday, with the help of Polish translators for a three minute hearing.
Dressed in grey prison-issue tracksuits, they spoke only to confirm their names and dates of birth.
The court clerk read out the charge that they are accused of the murder of a “person unknown” between March 25 and April 2.
Police are in touch with the family of the deceased but formal identification has yet to take place.
Gareth Hughes, prosecuting, said the murder charge could only be dealt with at a higher court.
Chairman of the bench Trevor Hulmes told the defendants: “You will be remanded into custody and be produced at the crown court at Manchester Crown Square at 9.30am tomorrow.”
Formal identification is ongoing. The remains that were found at the other three locations are still being tested.
Police say they are 'confident' they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said, “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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