Man accused of murdering PCSO Julia James to stand trial in November
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The man accused of killing PCSO Julia James is expected to stand trial in November.
Callum Wheeler, 21, appeared at Maidstone Crown Court, Kent, via video link with London's Belmarsh Prison, having been charged with murder on Monday.
Wearing a grey T-shirt and trousers with black mask, he simply replied 'Yeah' when asked to confirm his name during the hearing in front of Judge Philip Statman.
The court was told the earliest start date for a trial would be November 29, with a time estimate of up to four weeks.
No members of Mrs James' family attended the hearing.
Prosecutor Martin Yale told the court she died as a result of an "extremely violent and apparently random" attack.
He added there were a number of "outstanding forensic enquiries", including ones on an iron bar.
Mrs James, a 53-year-old mother of two, was allegedly murdered by Wheeler while walking her beloved Jack Russell dog Toby near to her home in Snowdown, in the parish of Aylesham, Kent, on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 27.
Her body was found next to Akholt Wood in the Aylesham Road area at about 4pm by members of the public, with her dog unharmed beside her.
A post-mortem examination revealed the grandmother had suffered significant head injuries.
Mr Wheeler, from Aylesham, was arrested on Friday, May 7, and charged three days later.
He appeared before Medway magistrates on Tuesday where he was remanded in custody until the crown court hearing.
That same day, officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate staged a reconstruction of the PCSO's last steps, with her pet being walked by an actress.
Mrs James, who was married to Paul, 57, had been working from home on the day she was killed and is believed to have set off from the property just after 2pm.
There was no application for bail but Mr Yale said it would be opposed.
Mr Wheeler was remanded in custody by Judge Statman until a plea and trial preparation hearing on June 8.
The murder investigation has involved extensive searches of the area, including Mr Wheeler's home since his arrest.
