Father acquitted of charge in headless body case

One of the defendants in the body in the Blue Lagoon murder trial has been acquitted on the judge's direction of a charge of familial homicide.

Antonio Watt, 70, was formally acquitted this morning of the charge at Luton Crown Court.

It came as the prosecution case neared its conclusion.

Judge John Bevan QC told the jury that, having heard the evidence over the last few weeks during the trial, he had reached the conclusion that the prosecution could no longer ask them to bring in a guilty verdict.

He said there was no evidence putting Mr Watt and victim Michael Gilbert together during January of last year at the Watt family home in Luton.

The evidence was that Mr Watt would go to work early, he said, and afterwards would go to the pub.

On coming home, he would have a meal and go to bed.

The judge told the jury that even on weekends the evidence was that Mr Watt spent most of the time in his own room.