British man accused of murdering wife due to appear in court on the AlgarveA BRITISH man accused of murdering his wife and burying her in their back garden was due to appear in court today on the Algarve.
Published: 11:25, Thu, January 8, 2015
By Gerard Couzens
Above. Portuguese CSI unit examine the hole where Brenda Davidson was found dead.
Nigel Jackson, 59, was set to be questioned by a judge at a closed hearing in the resort of Portimao over the death of partner Brenda Davidson, 72.
The former taxi driver, originally from Gravesend, Kent, told neighbours common-law wife Brenda had gone back to the UK for medical treatment when she went missing in November.
He admitted to burying her but claimed she committed suicide after police went to question him last week following a worried call from one of her four grown-up children.
A post-mortem was due to take place early this morning ahead of Jackson’s midday court appearance.
The Brit expat has yet to be formally charged with any crime. He is due to appear in court as an arguido or formal suspect.
Keen golfer Jackson moved to the remote £150,000 cottage he shared with his partner near the village of Alcalar a 30 minute drive from Praia da Luz around 10 years ago.
He showed detectives the spot where he has admitted burying her on Tuesday night.
Aboive. The hole outside the villa.
Police used pneumatic drills to break through the mix of brick and concrete placed over her grave and reach her decomposing body.
On Wednesday forensic experts took away bags of evidence including several soil samples and clothes.
The couple’s pets, including two dogs and three cats, are still at the house and are being fed by neighbours.
Green and white police tape with the words ‘Restricted Area’ written in English and Portuguese on it had been placed across the entrance.
One British neighbour said 6ft tall Jackson, a grey-haired chain smoker, told him Brenda was in the UK having tests for health problems when he asked after her.
The neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “We came back in November after about six months away and when I asked after Brenda because I hadn’t seen her, Nigel told me she was back in the UK having medical treatment.
“I knew she had health issues but I didn’t want to pry. All he said was that she was having tests and they were waiting on the results.
“As Christmas drew nearer I asked him if he planned to go back and spend it with her but he said he was staying here.
“We invited him over for Christmas dinner so he wouldn’t be alone but he said not to worry, that he’d be spending Christmas Day with some Portuguese friends.
“The rumblings of something untoward only started about a week ago when Portuguese police came asking about Brenda at a cafe in the village.
“They said they’d been contacted by the British consul who had received a phone call from Brenda’s son saying he couldn’t get hold of her.
“The police apparently went to see Nigel and from what I’ve heard he initially told them he hadn’t seen or heard from Brenda in a month which was obviously a different story to the one he told me.
“A neighbour came to tell me they’d found Brenda’s body on Tuesday night about 10pm.
“I’d seen police cars going up and down the track that evening but it was obviously a terrible shock. There were no warning signs, nothing that was anything wrong with their relationship and no history of violence I was aware of.
“I played golf with him and a couple of other pals on a reasonably regular basis when I was here and he was a very easy going, happy-go-lucky bloke.
“He had a fencing company which in the good times employed five or six people although I don’t think he was doing as much work as he was.
“He also looked after holiday rentals for a couple of British-owned properties locally.
“He was basically the sort of guy who could turn his hand to anything.
“It sounds awful saying it now but I know he was handy with cement because he did some cement work at my place. If he has killed his wife, it just makes you realise how little you really know some of the people you socialise with.”
Local cafe owner Antonio Andre said Jackson had continued to come in every day to buy bread and cigarettes after his partner disappeared.
He said: “He always acted normally. I asked after his wife one day and he said everything was fine.”
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/550634/Algarve-police-quizzing-British-man-after-body-wife-foundOriginal article updated.
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