THE mother of a man whose battered body was found in a York flat has come face-to-face with the man police say murdered him.

Rosie Wall, of Chapelfields, York, sat in the public gallery at York Magistrates Court as Group 4 officers brought John Paul Marshall, 42, up from the court cells.

Then she heard justices' clerk Daniel Fischbach tell him: "You are charged with the murder of Daniel Jeffrey Wall between November 30 and December 4, 2003, and the murder of Kevin Paul Mulgrew between November 30 and December 4, 2003. Do you understand the charges?"

Marshall, who had arrived in the country only hours earlier after being extradited from Amsterdam, Holland, confirmed that he did. Prosecutor Paula Jack asked magistrates to send the case straight to York Crown Court because the charges could only be tried before a judge and jury. Marshall's solicitor, Sandra Keen, said she had nothing to say, and the magistrates sent Marshall, of no fixed address, to appear at a preliminary hearing before the crown court next Friday.

Mrs Keen made no application for bail and Marshall was remanded in custody. The entire hearing took less than five minutes.

Mrs Wall, who is chairwoman of Chapelfields Residents Association, appeared to be holding back the tears as she left court. Her son was 27 when he died.

The bodies of Mr Wall and Mr Mulgrew, 38, were found in a council-owned Gillygate flat, above Ovengloves Bakery, on December 4 last year. The two men, from Chapelfields, had both died from head injuries.

A few weeks later, police began extradition proceedings against Marshall, who was then in Holland.

He was flown back into the UK yesterday morning. By early afternoon he was at Fulford Road Police Station and police contacted the magistrates court to ask if he could be added to that day's court list.

Superintendent Javad Ali, who is in charge of the police investigation into the deaths, was in court alongside several other plainclothes and uniformed police. Marshall wore a black T-shirt, a dull red shirt and a knitted grey and green waistcoat.

He only spoke to confirm his full name, his date of birth and to say that he understood the charges. He was not asked for his address. He showed no emotion as he left the dock.

Updated: 10:13 Friday, June 25, 2004