A BUILDER accused of murdering Bournemouth woman Sarah Pollock has appeared before magistrates.

Colin Dymond, 52, of Avon Close, Springbourne,  has not yet entered a plea to the charge against him.

He has been remanded in custody, and will appear at Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday, April 1 for a preliminary hearing.

Police were called to her flat in Avon Close, Springbourne, at 3.26pm on Wednesday and found her body there after concerns were raised that she had not arrived at work as expected.

On Friday, a post mortem found she had died due to strangulation and stab wounds to the neck.

She was formally identified by family members, who are being supported by police family liaison officers.

On Sunday morning, Dymond, who was known to the victim, was charged with her murder.

In a statement, Sarah's family said: “We have lost an important part of our lives; a kind, caring, honest, outgoing and ultimately indescribable daughter, sister and auntie from our close-knit family.

"She was unforgettable and she will always remain in our hearts and minds, although she should not be gone.

“We respectfully ask that we are left to grieve without intrusion and want to thank Dorset Police for their hard work so far in helping our distraught family.”

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Mark Samuel said: “Following enquiries, we have consulted with John Montague at the Crown Prosecution Service, who authorised the charge of murder shortly before 11am today.

“Family liaison officers have updated Sarah’s family with this development and the thoughts of the investigation team are with her loved ones. Clearly, this is a very difficult time for the whole family and they have requested privacy.

“I would also like to thank local people who have been patient and assisted police, particularly some of the residents of Avon Close who have been temporarily relocated.

“Their understanding and cooperation has helped us conduct a thorough investigation into this tragic matter as swiftly as possible.”

John Montague, Senior District Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Wessex, added: “I have authorised Dorset Police to charge Colin Dymond with the murder of Sarah Pollock, who was found dead in her flat in Bournemouth on March 25, 2015.

“Concerns were raised when Miss Pollock failed to open the shop she was working for at the Dolphin Centre in Poole.

“Miss Pollock’s body was found dead as a result of strangulation and severe stab wound to the neck.

“I carefully reviewed all the available evidence provided to me by Dorset Police and, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, I am satisfied that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to prosecute Colin Dymond with the murder of Sarah Pollock.

“He will appear at Bournemouth Magistrates' Court on Monday, March 30.

“Proceedings are now ongoing and the defendant has the right to a fair trial. It is very important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

Detectives have also appealed for the public’s help to trace a Peugeot 308 estate hire car with the registration HN14 HWC.

DI Samuel continued: “Although we have charged a man with murder, we still want to hear from members of the public if they have any information that could help with the investigation into Sarah’s death.

“We have now recovered the Peugeot hire car from the London area and I am interested if anyone saw it being driven or parked in Dorset or Hampshire between 4pm on Tuesday, March 24, and 10pm on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. If so, please call Dorset Police urgently.

“We are still building a picture of exactly what happened to Sarah. If anyone saw or heard anything suspicious in the Avon Close area of Bournemouth or has any other information that could be useful, I would urge them to please get in touch.”

Anyone with information about the movements of the Peugeot car or anything else that could help the investigation is asked to call Dorset Police on 101, quoting Operation Inlet or incident number 25:160.