US judge refuses bail for Briton

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A US judge has refused to allow a Briton charged with killing his wife and baby to return to England while awaiting trial.

Lawyers for Neil Entwistle, 28, argued he should be confined to his parents' house in Nottinghamshire and wear an electronic tag while on bail.

Prosecutors had said Mr Entwistle might flee before his trial.

He denies fatally shooting his wife Rachel, 27, and their nine-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, in January.

Mr Entwistle has been in custody in the US since February.

A statement released on Tuesday by the attorney's office of Middlesex in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said: "Judge Peter Lauriat has denied defendant Neil Entwistle's motion to set conditions of pre-trial release.

"Entwistle will remain held without bail."

'Fled scene'

Prosecutors at a hearing at Middlesex Superior Court last week said letting the unemployed IT worker return to Britain would "open the door to 20 or 30 countries in Europe" for him.

"The clear pattern is of flight and unreliability on Mr Entwistle's part," said assistant district attorney Michael Fabbri.

"He fled the scene immediately, as he admitted, without seeking medical help after purportedly finding his wife and daughter shot in his own home."

Mr Entwistle's lawyer, Elliot Weinstein, said the defence did not agree that he had fled after his wife and child were killed.

The defendant has not seen his parents Clifford and Yvonne since being placed in custody.

He flew back to England and stayed with them at the time of the killings in January before he was arrested and returned to the US after waiving his right to fight extradition.

At last week's hearing, the judge also moved the proposed trial date back from April next year to 1 October.