Brian Short's court appearance today over alleged murder of Michael Brincat is cancelled

Brian Short was due to face a Plymouth court this morning accused of killing the 76-year-old Michael Brincat.

Short appeared before magistrates on Monday and was due at Plymouth Crown Court today for a bail application.

The appearance was cancelled after the bail application was withdrawn.

Short did not attend and is remanded in custody until March 4.

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The body of Mr Brincat, known as 'Maltese Mike', was found at his Devonport flat last Wednesday. A post-mortem examination found he had been asphyxiated.

He was last seen alive at his home in Marlborough House, Granby Way, the day before.

Short, from Devonport, was arrested early on Friday.

He was questioned by police over the weekend and charged with Mr Brincat's murder on Saturday night.

Short was held in custody.

Mr Brincat's family has paid tribute to the well-known Devonport character, who had difficulty getting around.

Mr Brincat, who was from Malta, had two brothers and two sisters, plus his stepsister Evelyn Attard, from his mother's first marriage.

Miss Attard, aged 86, said: "He was a kind person. He helped everybody that he could. If he saw a man in the street he would buy him coffee."

His family remembers that Mr Brincat served in the merchant navy and was awarded a medal for service during the Suez crisis in the 1950s.

He was said by residents to be partially-sighted and a frequent visitor to the bookmakers on the corner of Marlborough Street.