A man has been charged with the murder of Hannah Benfield in Alderney.
Alderney resident Simon Benfield, 44, has been charged by Guernsey Police with the murder of Hannah Benfield, née Cox.
He has been remanded in custody and appeared before the Magistrate's Court this afternoon (2 October 2026).
He spoke only to confirm his name and address, and is due to appear before the Royal Court on Wednesday 28 October.
Hannah's body was found in water near the cliffs known locally as The Guns in the early hours of Monday 28 September, and a murder investigation was subsequently launched.
In a statement, Detective Superintendent Jonathan Bancroft said:
"We recognise that Alderney has a strong identity of its own and that an event of this nature will be felt particularly deeply across such a close-knit community.
"Police officers and specialist staff will therefore remain in Alderney over the coming days, both to continue investigative enquiries and to provide a visible policing presence and reassurance to residents.
"We would encourage anyone in Alderney who has information which they believe may assist the investigation, however insignificant it may appear, to speak directly with one of the officers on the island or contact Guernsey Police.
"We are grateful for the continued cooperation and support of the Alderney community and our partner agencies throughout the response and investigation. Our thoughts remain with Hannah’s family at this very difficult time.
"As criminal proceedings are now active, we would remind the public that nothing should be published which could prejudice those proceedings. We would also ask people to avoid speculation or commentary about the circumstances of the case and allow the court process to take its course."
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