POLICE officers and community leaders this week reassured the people of Tavistock that the town remains a safe place in which to live ? despite an alleged murder at the weekend. Patricia Mulpeter, 47, from Streatham, London, appeared before Plymouth Magistrates on Tuesday charged with murdering her partner, Kaija Savolainen, in the town on Sunday. She was remanded in custody to appear at Plymouth Crown Court on January 18 next year. At 11.20am on Sunday a report was received by police of a suspicious death. A woman went into the police station and said there was a car in the car park with her friend dead inside the vehicle, police said. Officers were led to the police station car park where they discovered the body of a Scandinavian woman in her late 40s in a Vauxhall Astra. Detective Sgt Martin Gleed, who is based at Tavistock, told the Times this week: ?We want to reassure the public, because of some inaccurate reporting in the early stages, that this incident, as tragic as was, is totally isolated and has no links with Tavistock.? A post-mortem examination on the body was inconclusive and various tests, including toxicology are being carried out. ?These people have come down from London and we believe they were staying in Tavistock over the weekend leading up to this incident,? said Det Sgt Gleed. ?The circumstances are very unusual in the scenario of this death occurring and the lady driving the body to the police station. ?Extensive enquiries are being started both as to the background of the victim and the offender, including the medical background.? Det Sgt Gleed said there was speculation over where the death actually occurred and forensic officers examined the scene outside the police station and the Riverside Car Park. He is appealing for information from anyone who may have had these people staying at their premises or is aware of their movements leading up to the death. Community Sgt Bob Hughes also wanted to reassure the community. He said: ?The incident was not a stranger attack, no knife was involved, no-one else was being sought by the police, the suspect remains in custody and there was no connection to Goose Fair at all.? Mayor of Tavistock Anne Johnson said there were lots of comments going around the town on Sunday but many of these were exaggerated. Cllr Johnson said: ?It is very sad because someone has died, but it did not happen at 11.30pm under the archway with a stranger and there was no knife involved. ?It is certainly a very rare thing to happen here in Tavistock. I am confident that Tavistock is a safe place to live and work. The Rev Michael Brierley, priest-in-charge at Tavistock, said, ?There?s certainly a lot of shock about town. Across the road from the scene of the incident, we?ve been very much remembering in our prayers, and will continue to remember, both the person who has died, and the person who?s held in custody. ?The parish church is always open during the day, and anyone who?s been affected by this incident is more than welcome to pop in and sit quietly if they?d like to.?
