A MAN accused of murder and attempted murder in Worcester failed to appear at the latest court hearing for the case.

Charles Byrne, 24, of Waterworks Road, Worcester, is accused of murdering Christina Rowe and attempting to murder another person, who cannot be named for legal reasons. Both charges relate to offences which happened in the city on February 10.

At the start of the hearing, held on Tuesday afternoon at Worcester Crown Court, Judge James Burbidge QC asked Byrne’s defence barrister, Stephen Hamblett, why his client had not appeared by videolink from prison.

Mr Hamblett replied: “The information I have got is that he is unfit for court, and that is the email I have had (from prison staff), so he won’t be joining us today. That’s all I have been told.”

Mr Hamblett explained Byrne had also been due to speak to him on a videolink conference prior to the 3.30pm hearing, but Byrne had failed to appear for that.

“No one came, blank screen, and prison staff didn’t say anything,” he said.

The preliminary hearing continued in Byrne’s absence and Rachel Brand, prosecuting, said: “It is clear from police interviews with this defendant that there will be psychiatric issues.

"I have spoken to Mr Hamblett, the defence are already progressing along the line of obtaining a psychiatric report. The first step is to ascertain fitness to plead.”

The prosecutor said the Crown would press on with serving their evidence in the meantime, to meet the date of April 6 - the first stage date of the case where the Crown need to have submitted their evidence.

She asked for a pre trial hearing in April, saying that by that time the court would have a better idea of whether the defendant was fit to plead.

“By (then) we should have a much better idea what type of trial we are looking at,” Miss Brand said.

“The only complicating matter that may arise is if the defendant is transferred in the meantime to hospital. Bearing in mind what has happened today, that may be a possibility.”

Judge Burbridge replied that they would have to take the case “step by step”.

The judge then asked both the defence and prosecution if he should be indicating a provisional trial date for the case - but Miss Brand and Mr Hamblett both agreed it was difficult to do at this stage, so no date was set for the trial.

Judge Burbidge then set April 9 as the date for the next hearing of the case, which will be a pre-trial preparation hearing.

“In the meantime I remand him in custody until April 9, when he can be produced over videolink,” the judge added.

READ MORE: Worcester man Charles Byrne in court over city murder investigation

READ MORE: Worcester murder case: Timeline of events