Teenager in court over student murder

Thursday 3rd July 2008, 3:24PM BST

A teenager arrested in Telford has today appeared in court in Norfolk accused of murdering a 17-year-old engineering student who disappeared last month.

Johnathan Clarke, 19, who gave his address as Queen Elizabeth Way, Malinslee, Telford, is charged with murdering Simon Everitt between June 6 and 29.

Clarke, who formerly lived in Great Yarmouth, is also charged with assaulting Simon on June 6, the day before the last reported sighting of the Yarmouth College student.

He also faces a charge of possessing an offensive weapon, a rounders bat, in Great Yarmouth on June 6.

Clarke was remanded in custody by Yarmouth magistrates today until July 14.

No application was made for bail.

He will appear on that date at Norwich Crown Court with Maria Chandler, 40, of Great Yarmouth, who was also charged with murdering Simon. She was remanded in custody on Monday.

Clarke was arrested in Telford on Tuesday and brought back to Norfolk for questioning by detectives investigating Simon’s disappearance.

A body, still to be formally identified as Simon’s, was discovered in a wooded area of a farm at Mautby, near Yarmouth, on Saturday.

Forensic investigators are still at work on the site.

Simon, who loved karaoke, was last seen at 11pm on June 7 cycling on his mountain bike along the A12 at Gorleston, Great Yarmouth.

His father Vince, a pub entertainer, started a website and poster campaign in an attempt to establish the whereabouts of his missing son.

He received many e-mails and messages of support from wellwishers as far away as the USA.

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