Man charged with murder of Britons

Detectives investigating the deaths of British art curator Nick Waterlow and his daughter Chloe today charged his 42-year-old son with their murders.

Antony Waterlow, 42, was armed with a small knife when he was arrested in north west Sydney, Australia.

New South Wales Police said a 42-year-old man was charged with the double murder and will appear at Parramatta Bail Court tomorrow.

Mr Waterlow, 68, and his daughter, cookery book author Chloe Waterlow, 37, were found stabbed alongside an injured toddler at a house in the affluent Sydney suburb of Randwick on November 9.

Both victims suffered multiple stab wounds and the girl, believed to be Ms Waterlow's two-year-old daughter, was treated for a wound to her throat, police said.

Today officers from New South Wales Police arrested Waterlow after a short pursuit when he was spotted by a member of the public.

A spokesman said: "Homicide Squad detectives have charged a man in relation to the alleged murder of a man and woman in Randwick earlier this month.

"About 1.30pm today, police arrested a 42-year-old Stanmore man following a police operation at Colo Heights in Sydney's north-west.

"The arrest follows a call made to local police by a member of the public about 10am today, after they saw the man at a service station on Putty Road.

"Officers sighted the man on Putty Road about 12.30pm.

"Following a short foot pursuit, the man ran on to a nearby property which was un-occupied at the time. He was armed with a small knife and threatened self-harm.

"Police negotiated with him before he was arrested without incident about 1.30pm.

"He was taken to Windsor Police Station and subsequently charged with two counts of murder and one count of recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.

"He was refused bail and will appear at Parramatta Bail Court tomorrow.

"The charges relate to the alleged murder of a 68-year-old man and his 37-year-old daughter in a semi-detached home at Clovelly Road shortly before 6pm on Monday 9 November 2009.

"Strike Force Skye, comprising detectives from the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad and Eastern Beaches Local Area Command was formed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident."

One of the victims, Mr Waterlow, was director of the Ivan Dougherty Gallery at the University of New South Wales College of Fine Arts.

Mr Waterlow, who was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the arts, was described as "visionary" by critics when he was appointed director of the 1979 Sydney Biennale festival, the first to incorporate Aborigine art.

A former Harrow School pupil, he was born on August 30 1941 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

He moved to Sydney in 1965 and married Rosemary O'Brien.

The couple returned to England and Mr Waterlow ran the Bear Lane Gallery, Oxford, and worked as senior arts officer for the Milton Keynes Development Corporation before they moved back to Sydney in 1977.

Mrs Waterlow died from cancer in 1998.

Mr Waterlow's partner of 10 years, Juliet Darling, told mourners at his funeral service at Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral that he never stopped trying to help Antony, reports in the Sydney Morning Herald said.

Mr Waterlow was a cricket fan and a member of the MCC since 1962.

He regularly returned to England to visit his elderly mother and is survived by his sons Antony and Luke, and three grandchildren.

His daughter's husband flew back to Australia after he was told about the death.

Local reports named him as digital technology consultant Ben Heuston, who had been on a business trip to London.