Jessica Patel and Mitesh Patel ran a chemist's shop together
The husband of Jessica Patel, an Indian-origin pharmacist who was found dead in her north England home earlier this week, was charged with her murder today .
Mitesh Patel, 36, appeared at the Teesside Magistrates Court where he was charged with
the murder of 34-year-old Jessica Patel.Jessica Patel used to run a chemist's shop in Middlesborough with her husband, whom she met while studying at university in Manchester. Her body was found at her home on The Avenue in the Linthorpe suburb of Middlesborough on Monday night. At the time, police said that specialist officers, including forensic teams, were investigating the crime.
The findings of the post-mortem report were not released for "investigative" reasons, police had said after the incident.
"We have lost Jessica, a kind hearted, gentle and selfless person who was loved dearly by her family and friends. She was completely dedicated to all of her family and her loss has brought an unbearable pain," said a statement released by local Cleveland Police on behalf of Jessica's family.
"We as a family are devastated and we would kindly request that everyone respects our privacy and allows us the time to grieve in peace," the family tribute added.
The husband was said to be "distraught" as he "adored" his wife by people who knew the couple.
"They were a really nice, friendly couple and they've become popular in the area since they took over the pharmacy," one of the couple's neighbours added.
The couple's home is close to their pharmacy, which they ran for around three years. Both the home and work premises were the focus of intense police searches through the week.