A suspect has appeared in court accused of the murder of a man from Acton.

John Nicholles was remanded in custody at Thames Magistrates’ Court yesterday (July 28), charged with the killing of Peter Charles John on Wednesday last week (23).

The 54-year-old from East Acton Lane was discovered with a fatal neck injury at the City of London Cemetery in Newham at 2.17pm. He was air-lifted to hospital but died from his injury later that same day.

It has since emerged that he was at the cemetery to attend the burial of David Brown, believed to be his wife’s step-father.

The funeral service was held at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Bethnal Green, and conducted by Father Tom O’Brien.

Father O’Brien had left the cemetery before the attack is believed to have taken place. He said: “I heard about it the next day. It’s shocking.

“At the time I didn’t know if the person was connected to the funeral, it’s a big cemetery. I didn’t know it was connected to the funeral.

“I’m deeply saddened that someone should choose that particular time to kill someone.”

Nicholles, of no fixed abode, will appear at the Old Bailey on August 11.