Five accused over Dominic Bernard Guyana killing

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Five people have been charged in connection with the killing of an aspiring British film-maker in South America.

Dominic Bernard, 18, from Epsom in Surrey, arrived in Guyana last October but went missing soon after landing.

His badly decomposed body was discovered on 8 January in a shallow grave in the Berbice region.

Two men face a murder charge, while a man and two women are accused of helping bury the body.

Post-mortem examinations revealed Mr Bernard had suffered a fractured skull and a broken neck.

Police were reported to have recovered a hammer, thought to have been one of the murder weapons.

'Chasing his dreams'

The investigation has been led by the Guyana Police Force but Surrey Police has been liaising "with all relevant agencies as inquiries continue".

Mr Bernard's parents Andrew and Linda said their son had travelled to pursue a dream of studying film-making.

They said he was "chasing his dreams, exploring his heritage and doing the things that brought joy to his heart."

He "tragically encountered those who do not share his values", they added.