Man charged with murder of two Matalan workers in Cardiff

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/29/man-charged-murder-two-matalan-workers-cardiff

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A man has been charged with the murder of two Matalan workers who were stabbed close to the Cardiff store where they worked.

Andrew Patrick Saunders, 20, was accused of killing Zoe Morgan, 21, and Lee Simmons, 33, in Queen Street on Wednesday.

Saunders, of Castleton in Gwent, would appear before magistrates in Cardiff on Friday, South Wales police said.

Morgan’s family paid tribute to her on Thursday, saying she was “a beautiful daughter, sister, granddaughter and auntie who had a heart of gold and would do anything for anybody”.

They added: “She was taken away from us tragically, too soon, and has left a massive hole in our lives that will never be filled. Zoe will always be in our hearts forever and always. We are all broken-hearted.”

The bodies of Morgan, a window dresser from Llandaff North, and Simmons, a shop assistant from Grangetown, were discovered at 5.50am on Wednesday.

The Queen Street store has been closed since they were found. On Thursday, colleagues gathered outside the shop, many in tears as they looked at floral tributes to the pair.

Hundreds of pounds have been donated via a JustGiving page in memory of Morgan. She had graduated from the University of South Wales in June with an honours degree in fashion marketing and retail design. It is believed Morgan and Simmons had been dating for four months.

DS Ceri Hughes, of South Wales police, said: “What happened to Zoe and Lee is an absolute tragedy. Their families are devastated. Our thoughts remain with them. This has shocked the community of Cardiff.

“We are still appealing for anybody who saw what happened to contact us if they have not been spoken to by police.”