A MAN was last night being held behind bars accused of the murder of British backpacker Caroline Stuttle, in Australia.

Ian Douglas Previte, 30, was charged with murder and robbery when he appeared before magistrates in Bundaberg, Queensland.

He was remanded in custody until April 29 and faces the possibility of a life sentence if convicted at a trial.

Previte is being held in the cells at Bundaberg police station but is expected to be transferred shortly to a remand centre.

Miss Stuttle, 19, from York, died in April last year after plunging 30ft from a bridge in Bundaberg, 220 miles from Brisbane.

She had journeyed to the town to earn money tomato-picking as she enjoyed a gap-year trip with best friend, Sarah Holiday, before starting university.

She died of head and spinal injuries and her death left people stunned on both continents and led to a huge police investigation in Australia.

Caroline's mother Marjorie, was woken at her York home by police at 4am yesterday to be told that Previte had been charged with the killing.

She is now considering flying out to Queensland to attend the trial, which is not expected to start for a number of months yet.

"Whether I can stand to hear it all I don't know," she said.

Caroline's father, Alan, an artist who last year travelled to Australia to visit the scene of her death, said: "Hopefully, we can draw a line under what has happened and we can get on with our lives now."

He added: "I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the police in Australia for all the hard work they have done."

It is believed that Previte was serving time at a prison in Rockhampton, Australia, when he was arrested by detectives at the end of a ten-month inquiry.

At one point, detectives even started to carry out mass DNA tests on the local male population during their intensive investigation.