A 22-YEAR-OLD charged with the murder of a Suffolk man sobbed in court as the case against him was outlined by prosecutors.Tony Holland, of Broadlands, Desborough, Northamptonshire, was brought before Sudbury magistrates yesterday accused of stabbing 20-year-old William O'Connor to death just over a week ago at the rear of a pub in Bury St Edmunds.

A 22-YEAR-OLD charged with the murder of a Suffolk man sobbed in court as the case against him was outlined by prosecutors.

Tony Holland, of Broadlands, Desborough, Northamptonshire, was brought before Sudbury magistrates yesterday accused of stabbing 20-year-old William O'Connor to death just over a week ago at the rear of a pub in Bury St Edmunds.

Holland, who was arrested in Northamptonshire on Monday night and brought to Suffolk for questioning, was formally charged with a single count of murder yesterday morning, at the end of a 36-hour custody extension.

He was then taken in a police convoy from Bury police station to Sudbury Magistrates' Court.

Accompanied by officers, Holland, who was wearing a dark green fleece and jeans, cried as prosecutor Peter Gair addressed the magistrates.

Holland is accused of murdering Mr O'Connor, 20, in Home Farm Lane, Bury, on April 27. Following brief submissions from Mr Gair and defence lawyer Chris Brown, the chairman of the magistrates remanded the accused in custody.

Jan Taylor Smith, chair of the magistrates, ordered Holland to be held in custody until the preliminary hearing of the case at Ipswich Crown Court on May 15. No bail application was made.

The defendant did not enter a plea and spoke only to confirm his name, age and address.

Mr O'Connor died from knife wounds, including one to the heart, and was declared dead on arrival at hospital despite the efforts of doctors at the scene.

Two doctors who work at the nearby West Suffolk Hospital performed emergency open heart surgery at the roadside in an attempt to save Mr O'Connor's life.

Alain Sauvage, an accident and emergency consultant at the Bury unit, was cycling in the area when he saw a paramedic with a man in a pool of blood at the side of the road.

Shortly afterwards Jeremy Mauger, consultant anaesthetist, who is a volunteer for Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (SARS), arrived in his fully-equipped response car after receiving an alert call. The pair made every effort to save the young man's life including emergency surgery, a hospital spokesman said.

Police have set up a mobile station close to the scene and are appealing for witnesses to contact detectives in the incident room on 01473 613500.