Ex-Marine faces Australian court

A former Norfolk Marine has made his third appearance in a Western Australian court charged with attempted murder.

Paul Heywood, 27, of High Street, Gorleston, has been in custody in Perth since June 12 accused of stabbing a young woman a number of times in a home in the Carlisle district of the city, leaving her with life-threatening injuries.

He is then alleged to have fled naked, stealing clothes from a washing line before robbing a late-night courier and driving off in his van.

Heywood, who served with 45 Commando Royal Marines in a mission in the Afghanistan mountains against Al Qaeda forces, appeared at the city's Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court and was further remanded in custody until the next hearing on November 24. No plea was taken.

Heywood, a former pupil of Gorleston's Cliff Park High School, also faces charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, stealing and trespass.

His brother Scott, a builder in Gorleston, said: 'I have briefly spoken to Paul a few times since the last hearing and he is still fine. He has started guitar lessons and writing and is continuing with his gardening job in prison.'

He said he and his family would be flying out to Perth to visit Paul at Christmas.

Relatives described the alleged attack - which happened the day after he arrived in Australia to start a work contract on an offshore survey vessel - as completely out of character and suspect he has been suffering from post-traumatic stress after his experiences in the Forces.