A MAN charged with murdering a married couple on Easter Sunday has appeared in court.
Stephen and Carol Baxter were discovered unresponsive by a family member in their home in Victory Road, West Mersea, on April 9.
Paramedics were called to the property alongside police officers but sadly the couple were declared dead at the scene.
Their deaths were initially treated as unexpected but not suspicious before three people were arrested on suspicion of murdering them.
It followed an inquest at Essex Coroner’s Court on Thursday being told the Baxters, who were aged in their sixties, had the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl in their systems.
Luke D’Wit, 33, of Churchfields, West Mersea, appeared via video link at Chelmsford Crown Court this morning (Tuesday).
He faces two offences of murder in connection with the couple's deaths and single offences of theft and possession of a Class A drug.
The defendant limped into a conference room at Chelmsford prison holding a crutch in his left hand while wearing a yellow and blue tracksuit for the court hearing.
He remained seated throughout the hearing and spoke only to confirm his name.
No plea to the charges or application for bail was entered and D’Wit was remanded in custody ahead of his next court appearance on September 25.
Judge Christopher Morgan fixed a provisional trial date for February 12 next year, estimating it will last three weeks.
Michael Stradling, defending, said no application for bail was to be made at the hearing, prompting protestations from some people in the public gallery.
Judge Morgan, addressing the public gallery, said: “I know emotions run high in cases of this nature but please do not talk across the court towards others.”
He asked one woman to leave the courtroom after she continued to talk.
A second man and a woman were also arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the deaths of Mr and Mrs Baxter.
They were held by the police to give “comprehensive accounts” of what happened before they were released on bail while inquiries continue.
A post-mortem examination was carried out at Broomfield Hospital which gave a provisional cause of death for Mrs Baxter, 64, as combined fentanyl and promethazine toxicity with terminal bronchopneumonia.
The provisional cause of death for Mr Baxter, 61, was delivered as cardiomegaly and alcoholic liver disease with fentanyl intoxication.
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