Uncle of Tia Rigg in court charged with murder

The uncle of 12-year-old Tia Rigg appeared in court in Manchester today charged with her murder. John Maden, 37, of Cheetham Hill, was remanded in custody at Manchester magistrates court this morning. He is due to appear at crown court on Thursday. Tia was found dead at a house in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, on Saturday afternoon. A postmortem examination indicated she had been strangled and suffered stab wounds. Angry scenes erupted inside the court as Maden entered the dock. BBC News said one woman repeatedly banged on the glass partition and screamed at him. Maden was arrested at the scene after police answered a 999 call on Saturday afternoon. Tia, a keen Manchester United fan, is thought to have gone to her uncle's home to watch Manchester United play Chelsea on television. Det Supt Mary Doyle, head of the murder inquiry, described Tia as "a happy, normal, healthy 12-year-old girl – she had friends, socialised normally and was in the flush of youth". Tia's parents are separated and they and her three younger brothers and sisters were described by Doyle as "devastated, with their world falling apart".