Shaun Cummins, a British boxer who retired in 1995, was found dead in his home in England last Wednesday.
What are believed to be parts of his dismembered body were found in his freezer. Thomas Dunkley, a 28-year-old acquaintance of Cummins, has been arrested and charged with murdering Cummins.
The retired boxer was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in 2004, leaving him confined to his bed with no feeling from the chest down. He was 44 years old.
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From The Daily Mail:
After neighbours raised the alarm last Wednesday police searched his home in Leicester and found human body parts hidden in freezers.
Thomas Dunkley, 28, appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday charged with murder.
Dunkley was arrested in Wakefield, West Yorks, and charged with murder last Friday.
It was not revealed in court what caused Mr Cummins’ death.
Dunkley, of no fixed address, wore a grey tracksuit and entered no plea during the hearing.
He was remanded into custody and was due to appear before magistrates again today.
Police were called to Mr Cummins’ home at about 3.30pm on Wednesday.
Neighbours said they had seen officers scouring the garden and shining torches through windows before breaking down the front door.
Police brought out a body bag at about 2am on Thursday.
Mr Cummins retired from boxing in 1995 with a record of 22 wins, six defeats and a draw.
According to his Facebook page, he went on to become a body builder and debt collector as well as bodyguard for Lee Ryan, former member of boyband Blue.
But a motorbike accident in 2004 left him paralysed with no feeling from the chest down.
Mr Cummins became the Inter Continental Light Middleweight champion in 1992 by defeating Steve Foster after 12 rounds. He successfully defended the title the following year against Mickey Hughes.
He cited his favourite victories on his Facebook page as those over former Olympic Bronze medalist and Super Middleweight Champion Richie Woodhall, Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) Champion Tony Velinor, ABA Finalist Brian Robinson, and Terry Morrill.
His final fight was for the British Middleweight title against Neville Brown which he lost in the fifth round.
His Facebook page says: ‘To this day the defeat vs. Neville Brown still upsets and angers (Cummins) as he truly feels he should not have taken the fight with a damaged left-hand and underestimating Neville Brown … but it is what it is and although The Guvnor (sic) never did come anywhere near to the fighter many experts and fans predicted he would be, he still was one hell of a fighter.’
Of life after boxing, it says: ‘After Shaun’s boxing career came to an abrupt end, he struggled emotionally to find something to do for a living.
‘But eventually he found body building and through weight training Shaun added a further 7st to his 6ft frame and at 18st he again started to work the doors, collect debts that were turned down by most debt collectors and was the Body Guard for Lee Ryan of the boy band Blue and life once again felt exciting to Shaun Cummins the fighter.’
