Lt Gaddesden Murder

19 July 2013, 12:08 | Updated: 19 July 2013, 12:12

A man's been charged with murdering a pensioner who was stabbed after going to the aid of his neighbour during a robbery in Hertfordshire.

Ian McLoughlin, 55, is accused of murdering Graham Buck in Little Gaddesden on Saturday 13 July 2013.

Mr Buck, 66, suffered fatal stab wounds when he responded to cries from the home of 86-year-old Francis Cory-Wright in the village near Berkhamsted.

McLoughlin, also known as Ian John Baker, was arrested in Tottenham, north London, at around 1am on Wednesday.

He appeared at Hatfield Remand Court on Friday 19 July, charged with murder, robbery and possession of cannabis.  He was remanded in custody to appear at St Albans Crown Court the following week.

Police said that David McCollin, 50, from Ridley Villas in Hackney, east London, and Shirley Dean, 54, from Ermine Road in Tottenham, have been charged with assisting an offender.

A 45-year-old woman, from Edmonton, north London, who was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of assisting an offender has been released on bail.

Mr Buck, who lived two doors away from Mr Cory-Wright, went to help him after hearing shouting in his front garden, police said.

Mr Cory-Wright was jailed for 30 months in 2011 for indecently assaulting a 10-year old boy in the 1970s.

Mr Buck, a father-of-three and a grandfather, and Mr Cory-Wright are not believed to be connected in any other way than being neighbours.

An earlier statement from Mr Buck's family said: "We have no words to express how much Graham will be missed. We were all in such a happy place as a family. We were all so settled, with growing numbers of grandchildren whom he adored being around.

"We haven't seen him happier than being around his grandchildren, he was so proud. We cannot get over that we have lost him.

"He's going to be missed by so many people.''