Collombet suspect arrested on footpath

The man suspected of murdering international student Sophie Collombet in Brisbane was arrested yesterday afternoon near a shopping centre in Coffs Harbour, on the NSW far north coast.

Local police made the arrest after Benjamin James Milward, 25, was seen taking a walk along Harbour Drive in the centre of the beachside town, according to reports.

Last night he was being held in custody at the local police station and questioned by Queensland detectives who travelled to Coffs Harbour to interview him.

Police are expected to launch extradition proceedings against Milward as he makes his first appearance in court this morning.

Nine News reports that Milward has been wanted for questioning ever since physical evidence linked him to the murder scene.

Ms Collombet was bashed to death near the William Jolly Bridge on the Brisbane River on the night of March 27, police say.

The 21-year-old French student had been walking home from a bus station to her apartment in Brisbane's CBD, after attending an evening tutorial at Griffith University’s Nathan campus.

Her naked body was found slumped in a rotunda near a river bank.

Last night her family was informed about the arrest and praised police for their work but said they were cautious about making any further comment.

Milward was declared a person of interest last week as police released CCTV footage of him near the river on the night of the murder.

His family, from Ipswich, west of Brisbane, begged him to come forward.

They now say his arrest has brought some relief.

"We are relieved that he's OK and he's been found," his aunt Tere Douglas told Fairfax Media.

She added that she did not know why her nephew was in Coffs Harbour and said the family had no relatives in the area.

Source: Courier-Mail, Brisbane Times

Author: Erin Tennant, Approving editor: Natasha Lee