A GROUP charged with trying to cover up the murder of Christopher Lemonius in a Blackbird Leys alleyway have been given a date for their trial.

Three women and one man appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday to answer the single charge of conspiring to pervert the course of public justice.

Korine Forbes, 28, of Starwort Path, Oxford, Kimesha Bennett, 25, of Three Fields, Oxford, and Barry O’Loughlin, 43, of Sandy Lane, Oxford, all pleaded not guilty.

A fourth defendant, Charlotte Carney, 33, of Astrop Lane, Oxford, did not enter a plea at the hearing.

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They are all alleged to have conspired to pervert the course of justice between June 1 and 6, 2017.

Prosecutors claim that they were part of a plan to conceal evidence and witnesses involved in the murder of Mr Lemonius two years ago.

They are also claimed to have assisted two men - Otman Lamzini and Carlos Spencer - in leaving Oxford and thereby evading arrest for the murder.

After a trial at the same court last year jurors unanimously found four men guilty of murdering the 27-year old.

Another man was found guilty of manslaughter after more than 60 hours of jury deliberations.

At yesterday’s hearing a trial date was set to be held at the same court on May 11 next year.

Judge Ian Pringle QC will preside over the trial.

The case is expected to last at least three weeks, according to prosecutors, and all four were released on bail in the meantime.

 

  •  A previous version of this story listed Barry O'Loughlin's age as 52, when it should have read 43. The Mail apologises for any confusion caused.