Court appearance for teens charged with murdering Walkford man Edward Reeve
A MOTHER sobbed as she watched her 16-year-old son appear in the dock charged with the murder of Edward Reeve who was found dead in his Walkford home last week.
The teenager was one of two, both the same age, accused of killing 35-year-old Mr Reeve at his home in Heath Road on Tuesday 4th January.
Today (Tuesday) they appeared separately at Poole Magistrate’s Court which was sitting as a youth court in front of District Judge Stephen Nicholls.
Wearing grey sweatshirts, they sat one after the other in the glass-fronted dock as the case against them was outlined by prosecutor Andrew Coley.
At one point the crying woman, who was sitting in the public gallery, held her head in her hands as a man tried to comfort her.
The parents of the other boy charged also watched him appear, exchanging nods and waves with him. At one stage he made a kissing gesture towards them.
Both defendants cannot be named for legal reasons and did not enter a plea to the charge. They are being represented by barrister Selina Goddard.
District Judge Nicholls remanded them in youth detention accommodation ahead of a hearing at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday.
A court order banning identification of the boys was extended to include three witnesses aged between 15 and 16.
In a statement issued late yesterday, DI Simon Huxter, of Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Following a detailed and fast-moving investigation, we have consulted with the Crown Prosecution Service, which has authorised the charges.
“The family of Edward Reeve has been updated with this development and our thoughts remain with them at this truly awful time.
“This matter is now subject to a court process and as is typical in these circumstances, it would be entirely inappropriate for Dorset Police to comment further. It is important that the justice system is allowed to follow its course.
“I would like to remind the public that this matter is now the subject of active court proceedings, and it is important to stress that there should be no commentary or sharing of information online or on social media that could potentially prejudice these proceedings.
“I would also like to highlight to members of the public that automatic court restrictions will apply to anyone under the age of 18, meaning their name should not be published, which would include any content on social media."
He added: “I am keen to reiterate my thanks to the public for their support following the appeals and the information they have provided to assist our enquiries. The investigation continues so please do contact us if you believe you have information that could assist.”
A 15-year-old girl from the Christchurch area, who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, has been released on police bail pending further enquiries.
