Couple hit by £46k fraud murdered months after they retired to Jamaica
A BRITISH couple who dreamed of retiring to Jamaica have been found murdered within months of moving to their home on the island.
The bodies of Charlie Anderson, 74, and his wife, Gayle, 71, were found near their eight-bedroom house, which had been partly destroyed by fire.
Both are said to have suffered burns and wounds to the head or neck, with Mr Anderson possibly having been shot. Mrs Anderson was reportedly found naked, with her hands and feet bound. It is understood the greatlast grandmother had been the victim of a £46,000 credit card fraud last year and had recently returned to Jamaica after travelling back to the UK to secure paperwork for the police.
Officers refused to speculate on the motive for the deaths and would not confirm whether the couple’s house, which overlooks the sea in Mount Pleasant, in the Portland district on the northeast coast, had been burgled.
According to reports, Mrs Anderson’s credit card was used 45 times at hardware stores and supermarkets on the island without her knowledge between August last year and May this year.
Police refused to comment on the fraud allegations, but it is understood they have not ruled out a link between the scam and the murders.
The couple, from Gorton, Manchester, had been married for 55 years and had two grown up sons, four grandchildren and a great-grandchild. In a statement, their sons said: ‘Our parents Charlie and Gayle enjoyed a long and happy marriage of 55 years and leave behind their four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
‘ They were hardworking people, building a business with integrity and making sure we were always provided for. Charlie and Gayle were pillars of the community in Manchester and Jamaica, and were hugely popular and loved by many. They were just beginning the next chapter of their lives, retiring to Jamaica before this terrible tragedy.’
Mr Anderson, who is Jamaican, and his wife were regular visitors to the island. They built their home themselves, on a quarter of an acre plot, before moving in permanently year. It is understood they had relatives on the island.
Yesterday John Corrigan, who lived next door to them in Manchester, told The Sun: ‘It’s shocking what’s happened to them. They were a lovely couple who would do anything for you. Charles came over to Britain with just a satchel and made a life for himself. It was their dream to move back to Jamaica and have their own home there. They saved all their lives and Charles built his dream home.’
Last night Commander Duane Wellington, speaking from Jamaica, told the Mail: ‘This is a murder investigation. We were alerted by one of the neighbours who found the first body, they were about 40 metres apart. The post-mortems have not yet taken place. No arrests have been made.’
According to reports police investigating the fraud allegations were looking for a local man who apparently fled the area a little over a month ago.
Local farmer Jerome Heslop summed up the shock felt on the island. ‘They have given so much to this community, and they never said No to anyone,’ he said. ‘The community has lost two great people.’