Four charged over murder of Cannock businessman Roger Pratt in Caribbean

They appeared in court on the island of St Lucia, where Mr Pratt, 62, and wife Margaret, 60, were attacked on their £20,000 boat moored in the harbour at Vieux Port.

The couple ran Okra Associates financial company, based at Harance House, Rumer Hill Road, in Cannock.

Retired engineer Mr Pratt, of Moreton Paddox, Warwickshire, was beaten, thrown overboard and left to drown as he defended his wife from robbers.

The four are accused of murder and have also been charged with robbery offences. The men, who are all from St Lucia, were told they will appear at court again on February 4. Mr and Mrs

Pratt had been part-way through a round-the-world holiday when the attack took place.

The couple left Lowestoft in June, navigating the English coastline before heading and headed to the Algarve and on to the Caribbean.

Writing on her LinkedIn profile before she left, Mrs Pratt said: "Off travelling! The plan is to be in the Caribbean for my 60th birthday in January 2014 – all a bit of a leap into the unknown. Please stay in touch – I plan to be an assiduous correspondent!"

They were forced to moor their boat in Vieux Port, away from the main tourist area, because they could not get immigration clearance to continue their journey because the officer did not turn up to work that day.