Man charged with murder after woman found dead at Arab stud farm
A man has been charged with the murder of a veterinary pharmacist who was found dead at a yard in Devon.
The body of Katherine Bevan, 53, was found at Combe Farm in Gittisham, near Honiton, on 3 January. The farm has been home to breeding and producing Arabian horses for decades.
Emergency services were called at around 10.45pm on 3 January, but Ms Bevan, also from Gittisham, was declared dead at the scene.
A murder investigation was launched following her post-mortem, which was completed on 18 January at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
A statement from Devon and Cornwall Police on 21 January said they had arrested a 26-year-old local man on suspicion of murder.
A further update this morning (22 January) said police had charged Luigi Palmas, 26, of no fixed abode with the murder of Ms Bevan.
“Palmas has also been charged with a further count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in connection with an incident in Exeter on 20 January,” said the statement.
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“He is due to appear before Exeter Magistrates’ Court today [Wednesday 22 January].”
Ms Bevan published a book just before Christmas, titled Knowing Daisy: A True Story, which featured her time spent at Combe Farm and the animals she met and loved there.
In it she describes how it was her love of horses that brought her to the farm and how her love for cows grew while she was there.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.