Former UKIP councillor charged with murdering wife in Stowmarket
The scene in The Brickfields, Stowmarket, where a woman died on Saturday night. Inset, former UKIP county councillor Stephen Searle who has been charged with his wife's murder. Picture: ARCHANT - Credit: Archant
A former UKIP councillor from Stowmarket arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife has been charged this morning.
Suffolk police arrested 64-year-old Stephen Searle following the death of his wife Anne, 62, in The Brickfields, Stowmarket.
Officers were called at around 10.30pm on Saturday, December 30, to find a woman who was unresponsive.
Paramedics from the East of England Ambulance Service attended, but the woman was declared dead at the scene.
She has been formally identified as Anne Searle.
A Home Office post mortem was carried out on Sunday, with more tests to be carried out.
Police arrested Searle, who lives at the same address, and after a 12-hour custody extension granted yesterday, has been charged with murder this morning.
He will appear at South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court in Ipswich this morning.
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Searle stood for the UKIP party in the Suffolk County Council elections, securing a seat for Stowmarket South in May 2013.
His election material said he was a former Royal Marine commando.
In May last year he stood again but lost to Conservative Mid Suffolk council leader Nick Gowrley.
He also ran as a UKIP candidate for the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich seat in a bid to become an MP, but finished last of the five candidates, including Conservative MP Dan Poulter who retained the seat.