A 42-year-old British man suspected of having murdered a work colleague from Extreme PC in Milton Keynes is to be extradited to the UK from Australia, the Herald Sun reports.

Stuart Martin was manager at the store when computer expert Jonathan Dolton, 20, disappeared after leaving a friend's house in 2001. His body has never been found, although his abandoned four-wheel drive car was quickly discovered behind some shops in Heelands, Milton Keynes. Police believe that Dolton had arranged to meet Martin at the spot. Martin subsequently surfaced in Australia. Police there trawled Queensland for him but finally found the suspect in Melbourne in February of this year.

He appeared today in Melbourne Magistrates Court for an extradition hearing. It is unclear if he consented to extradition. News.com.au reports that Martin "had not yet decided whether he would consent to surrender to extradition", while the Herald Sun states that he has done so.

His lawyer Carmen Randazzo, SC, did say that he was "innocent and was eager to return to defend himself". Martin will be held at at Melbourne Assessment Prison awaiting a further extradition hearing on 29 April. ®