Angry crowds demand justice for Sian O'Callaghan

There were angry scenes inside and outside Swindon Magistrates' Court yesterday as Christopher Halliwell, 47, appeared in open court for the first time since being officially charged on Saturday with killing the 22-year-old.

People shouted abuse from the public gallery and, after the short hearing, a crowd of more than 100 screamed obscenities and tried to attack the police convoy including the van carrying Halliwell as it took him away. A large number of them then chased the van down the street.

Halliwell, of Ashbury Avenue, Swindon, spoke only to confirm his name and address when he stood in the dock, dressed in a dark suit and a blue and white striped shirt. He showed no emotion as the murder charge was read out.

He is accused of killing Miss O'Callaghan, who disappeared in the early hours of Saturday 19 March after a night out with girlfriends in Swindon. Her body was found close to the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire, 15 miles from her home in Swindon.

Halliwell was remanded in custody until Wednesday, when he will appear at Bristol Crown Court for a routine bail hearing. He will face a full hearing at the same court on 8 April.

Wiltshire Police investigating Miss O'Callaghan's death continue to examine a body found near the village of Eastleach in Gloucestershire on Saturday. The remains, thought to be those of a woman aged between 23 and 30, have yet to be formally identified.

Miss O'Callaghan's father paid an emotional tribute to his "bright, bubbly, caring and friendly" daughter yesterday. Mick O'Callaghan fought back tears as he spoke publicly for the first time since his her body was found.