A MAN has appeared in court charged with murdering his teenage wife of just four days.

Stephen Michael Butters, 41, of High Row, Loftus, was remanded in custody by magistrates at Teesside Magistrates Court yesterday.

The body of 19-year-old Claire Amy Butters, formerly Cummings, was found on Wednesday afternoon at the couple's east Cleveland home. She had been stabbed repeatedly in the chest.

Mr Butters will appear at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday May 17. His solicitor, Neil Bennett, made no application for bail.

The body of Claire Butters, from Redcar, was found when officers went to a house in High Row, Loftus, after receiving a desperate 999 call from a man who was threatening to kill himself.

Launching a murder enquiry, Detective Inspector Steve Richards from Redcar CID said officers went to the house immediately and found Claire lying on the bed in an upstairs bedroom wearing pyjamas with a number of stab wounds in her chest. A blood-stained knife was later found in the kitchen.

Mr Butters was arrested at Hummersea cliffs, less than two miles away, after police negotiators spent three hours to talk him away from the cliff edge

He was taken to Redcar police station and was interviewed at the station on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Butters, a father of seven, had been living with Claire at the Loftus house for a few months. It is understood Claire was a former babysitter for Stephen's children from an earlier marriage. The couple married in secret at Guisborough Registry office last Saturday.

Claire's parents, Tina and Steve Cummings, spoke of the devastating loss of their beautiful daughter.

Mr Cummings said: "You never expect this to happen to your family. We loved Claire dearly.

"Whilst we saw Claire regularly and last saw her on Thursday evening at a family party, we did not know she was to be married.

"Words cannot express our loss and we would simply like to be left in peace to grieve."

Det Insp Richards said: "We are appealing for anyone who may have heard any type of disturbance in the house or anyone who feels they have information that may progress the inquiry. The family is devastated. They did not know she was married."

Any witnesses are asked to call Redcar police on (01642) 302690