Man charged with murder of PC Gordon Semple
A 49-year-old man is due to appear in court today accused of the murder of a police officer after his decomposed remains were found in a flat.
A 49-year-old man is due to appear in court today accused of the murder of a police officer after his decomposed remains were found in a flat.
The body of Police Constable Gordon Semple, 59, was discovered at a property in Southwark, south London, on Thursday (April 7), almost a week after he was reported missing.
Stefano Brizzi, who describes himself as a social worker, has been charged with murder after he was arrested at the address.
The gruesome discovery was made after a neighbour alerted the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to a “smell of death” coming from the flat.
A joint statement from the victim`s brother Ronnie and partner Gary Meeks described him as “a much loved partner, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and cousin” and added “our world will be a worse place without him”.
Brizzi, of Peabody Estate, Southwark Street, is due to appear at Bromley Magistrates` Court on Monday (April 11).
PC Semple, who had been with the MPS for 30 years, left his home in Greenhithe, Dartford, to go to work in Westminster on Friday, April 1, and visited the Shard`s Shangri-La Hotel later that day.
He left at 12.30pm and was last seen on CCTV about two and a half hours later near London Bridge, a short distance from the property where he was found.
Thousands of people joined a Facebook group to help search for him, and his family spoke of their devastation following his death.
The officer was born in Scotland and came from Inverness, working for the Bank of Scotland as a young man before joining the service.
In a statement, PC Semple`s brother, Ronnie Semple, said: “On behalf of Gordon`s partner Gary, my wife Maureen, Gordon`s nephew Paul, niece Kerry and I, I would like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts during the past dreadful week. It has been a terrible time for us all, especially Gary.”
He added: ” Gordon will be sadly missed by all of his immediate family, his colleagues in the Met Police, former Bank of Scotland colleagues in Inverness and London, friends from his `Tartan Army` days, but most of all the hardest loss is for Gary at this time.
MPS Commander Alison Newcomb said: “There are many officers who have served with Gordon in London during his 30-year career who will acutely feel his loss.”
Friends remembered PC Semple as a “great character” and an “old-school cop”.
Kevin Holland said: “RIP Gordon. Was there in my hour of need, sorry I couldn`t be there in his. Missed by many. One of life`s great characters taken”, while Kristina Radu recalled him as a “very happy, smiley man”.
Paul Hutchinson said: “Wish I could have been there for you at your time in need; my utmost pleasure to have known you. My thoughts to your family”, while Rona Tynan wrote: “Have heard he was a great cop old school. Very very sad reading this news. Deepest sympathies to the family and I hope justice is served at the highest order.”
And Andrew Crooke added: “Rest peacefully brother. You`ve booked off your last shift here and I know you are starting rest days in a better place.”
The MPS said it will “take some time” to establish the cause of death due to the condition of the body.
Grim details of the officers death emerged over the weekend with reports his body was put in an acid bath before being mutilated.
Officers searched The Thames for missing parts of PC Semples body, suspected to have been dumped in the water. One of his severed feet was found by a member of the public on the south side of the London river at 11am on Friday (April 8).