Man in court charged with murders of family

Giuseppe Morreale, 29, and Maria Nugara, 54, were pronounced dead at the scene

A man has appeared in court charged with the alleged murders of his wife and son.

Calogero Ricotta, 63, is accused of killing Maria Nugara, 54, and 29-year-old Giuseppe Morreale in the village of Ugley in Essex.

Mr Ricotta, of Cambridge Road, Ugley, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court via video link from HMP Peterborough on Tuesday.

He was not asked to enter pleas to the two counts of murder and one of actual bodily harm.

Judge Christopher Morgan remanded Mr Ricotta in custody to appear again in person, with an Italian interpreter requested, on 16 August.

Essex Police said it received a call at 21:50 BST on 28 May reporting that two people had been seriously injured at an address in Ugley, near Bishop's Stortford.

Officers arrived in Cambridge Road and found Ms Nugara and Mr Morreale, who were both pronounced dead at the scene.