Manchester couple unlawfully killed in Jamaica, coroner rules

Halford and Florence Anderson were both shot and burnt in the attack

A British couple were "brutally" killed in Jamaica weeks after reporting being victim of a fraud amounting to £100,000, an inquest heard.

Halford Anderson, 74, and his wife Florence, 71, of Manchester, were found dead near their home on the Caribbean island in June 2018.

The inquest heard they were shot and burnt in the attack, with Mr Anderson suffering "horrific" head injuries.

Manchester's senior coroner concluded the couple were unlawfully killed.

The inquest heard that the couple, also known as Charlie and Gayle, sold their home in Gorton and retired to Mount Pleasant in Portland in June 2017.

The couple's son, Mark, said in a statement his father had always wanted to return to Jamaica where he grew up.

His parents put the proceeds from the house sale into a bank account and would have been able to live "very comfortably" there but in April 2018 Mrs Anderson told the family all their money had disappeared.

No one has been charged over Halford and Florence Anderson's deaths

He said the couple returned to the UK to meet with the bank and flew back to Jamaica at the beginning of June, satisfied the bank could refund at least some of the money.

But on 22 June, the couple were found dead.

Senior coroner Nigel Meadows told the inquest Mr Anderson died of "horrific" head injuries but also had a gunshot wound to his hand, while Mrs Anderson was killed by a gunshot wound to her face. They had both also suffered burns.

In a letter to the British High Commission, Jamaican police said a trail of blood led from the property, which was charred inside.

'Stuff of nightmares'

The inquest heard a man hired to do odd jobs for the couple had since been charged with fraud.

No one has been charged with their killings.

"We are no further forward in finding out what happened and are completely devastated and frustrated," their son said.

In a statement after the inquest, Mark and his brother Glen said: "To be told that both of your parents have been found brutally murdered is the stuff of nightmares.

"We are really hoping that now the coroner has recorded a verdict of unlawful death there will be some progress," they said.

"We want someone charged with murder."