The man suspected of murdering former EastEnders actress Sian Blake and her two sons was due to appear in court in Ghana today before his extradition to the UK.
Arthur Simpson-Kent, 48, was arrested by police in Ghana at a remote tourist spot on Saturday.
Simpson-Kent left the UK after being questioned by police on December 16. Officers were investigating the disappearance of his partner Ms Blake, 43, who had motor neurone disease, and their children Zachary, eight, and Amon, four.
Their bodies were found buried in the back garden of their home in Erith, south-east London, three weeks later.
Simpson-Kent arrived in Ghana on December 19 and befriended people in Busua, a town in the west of the country. He is said to have celebrated there on New Year’s Eve. Karole Ainoo, a British expat who runs a café in the town, claimed she told UK detectives where he was but nothing was done at first.
She described Simpson-Kent as “very gently spoken, very well-mannered” and said he was “celebrating, enjoying himself and laughing” during the festive season. She found out who he was when a friend showed her an online report.
Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Gwyn, who is leading the murder inquiry, said: “There is nothing we or the Ghanaians could have done any quicker to get out here as quickly as we could.” Scotland Yard said extradition proceedings were going ahead today.
