Sian O'Callaghan 'died of head injuries', inquest hears

Miss O'Callaghan was found dead near Uffington, Oxfordshire

Sian O'Callaghan is likely to have died of head injuries, an inquest has been told.

Miss O'Callaghan, 22, from Swindon, disappeared after leaving the town's Suju nightclub on 19 March following a night out with friends.

Her body was found near Uffington, Oxfordshire, on Thursday last week. Christopher Halliwell, 47, of Swindon, has been charged with her murder.

The inquest was opened and adjourned at Oxford Coroner's Court.

A Home Office forensic pathologist is still working to confirm a precise cause of death while Wiltshire Police continue to examine the remains of a second woman discovered in Gloucestershire.

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner said: "I think the actual cause of death has not yet been defined but is likely to be head injuries of some description."

Miss O'Callaghan's body was formally identified by Pete Shawe, the partner of her mother Elaine.

Mr Halliwell, a taxi driver from Ashbury Avenue, Swindon, has been remanded in custody to appear via video link at Bristol Crown Court on 8 April.