Briton in bail plea at US court

Neil Entwistle denies two counts of first-degree murder

Lawyers for a Briton charged with killing his wife and baby have asked a US judge to allow him to return to England while awaiting trial.

They argued Neil Entwistle, 28, should be confined to his parents' house in Nottinghamshire and wear an electronic tag while on bail.

But prosecutors said he might flee before his trial.

He denies fatally shooting his wife Rachel, 27, and their nine-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, in January.

Mr Entwistle has been in custody in the US since February.

His lawyer, Elliot Weinstein, said he would be confined to his parent's Worksop home for 24 hours, while wearing a tag with a global positioning device to track his movements.

He admitted his request was unusual but said Mr Entwistle had no prior criminal record and would not pose a danger to anyone if released.

Assistant district attorney Michael Fabbri, who accused the Briton of being unreliable, said the bail requests made by Mr Entwistle's defence team could place a burden on UK police.

Mr Entwistle, 28, has not seen his parents Clifford and Yvonne since being placed in custody.

He flew back to England and stayed with them at the time of the killings in January before he was arrested and returned to the US after waiving his right to fight extradition.

'Strict conditions'

Mr Fabbri, speaking at Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said letting the unemployed IT worker return to Britain would "open the door to 20 or 30 countries in Europe" for him.

He said: "The clear pattern is of flight and unreliability on Mr Entwistle's part.

"He fled the scene immediately, as he admitted, without seeking medical help after purportedly finding his wife and daughter shot in his own home."

At the hearing Judge Peter Lauriat moved the proposed trial date back from April next year to 1 October.

A possible date of January 26 was set for the next hearing.