Five people have been charged in connection with the murder of Epsom teenager Dominic Bernard after he went missing in Guyana.

The aspiring filmmaker, 18, went missing shortly after travelling to the south America country in October, where he had extended family, including his godbrother, Aaron Hing, 22.

From January 11: Body found in search for missing Epsom teenager Dominic Bernard - Two arrested

From January 12: Seven arrested on suspicion of murder of missing Epsom teen Dominic Bernard after body is found

Mr Hing and 23-year-old Staymon George have been charged with Mr Bernard’s murder, according to local media.

A man and two women also appeared before a judge on Friday, accused of helping bury Mr Bernard’s body and his camera equipment.

Surrey Comet:

Mr Bernard (pictured above) had flown to Timehri in Guyana on October 14 last year to pursue his dream of becoming a filmmaker.

He was supposed to fly back to England on November 5, but after he failed to return home, his family raised the alarm and an investigation was launched.

Mr Bernard’s body was discovered in a shallow grave on Friday, January 8 near to the area he was scheduled to stay in.

Reports from Guyana indicated that on that day investigators discovered a badly decomposed body and post-mortem examinations found it had a fractured skull and broken neck.

Media reports in Guyana say a hammer - thought to be one of the murder weapons - was recovered.

Did you know Dominic? Leave a tribute below, or get in touch at craig.richard@london.newsquest.co.uk