Trials to expect at Oxford Crown Court in 2022

These are some of the trials to expect in the new year.

Botley ‘stab murder’

Eugen Coman, 33, is accused of fatally stabbing his housemate at the home they shared in Pinnocks Way, Botley, on Sunday, October 17.

The alleged victim, Leonid Laboshin, was a software engineer from Russia, who died at the scene. An inquest heard Mr Laboshin was stabbed in the neck and the torso.

Coman is also accused of being in possession of two knives, allegedly found in the boot of his BMW in Barrington Close, Witney, on the same date as Mr Laboshin’s death.

At a hearing before Judge Ian Pringle QC in October, Coman was told that his trial had provisionally been fixed to start on April 4 at Oxford Crown Court.

He is expected to appear at court on January 14 for a plea hearing.

Murder scene in Pinnocks Way, Botley, after stabbing on Sunday, October 17, 2021. Picure: Andy Ffrench

Coman’s trial is expected to last up to a fortnight.

In the wake of Mr Laboshin’s death, his family paid tribute to the ‘amazingly sensitive, intelligent and bright man’.

The said: “He was a caring and loving son, brother and uncle. He loved to play guitar and learnt to play the violin and piano. He loved music.

“After graduating from the University of St Petersburg. He taught himself English and made plans for his life with enthusiasm.

“He was invited to go to work as an IT programmer at Oxford University where together with other specialists he worked in the scientific development field of medicine, in particular the timely detection of cancer and its further surgical treatment.”

READ MORE: Man charged with 'stab murder'

Fatal stabbing in Barton

Lewis Brown, 20, is accused of stabbing Lee Butler to death in Bayswater Road, Barton, on October 8.

He is yet to enter pleas to charges of murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

Brown, of Barton Village Road, Oxford, is expected to appear before Oxford Crown Court on January 7 for a plea hearing – although the date may change.

Forensics officers at scene of Barton stabbing Picture: ED NIX

In October, Judge Ian Pringle QC provisionally fixed his trial date for March 21. The trial is expected to last up to two weeks.

Mr Butler, 39, was stabbed in the chest in Bayswater Road on the night of Friday, October 8.

In tributes released after his death, Mr Butler’s family described him as ‘gentle giant’ who was well-loved and popular. His death was a ‘complete waste of life’, they added.

READ MORE: Man in court over fatal stabbing of 'gentle giant'

Woman 'plied with drugs and raped'

Five people will stand trial in February accused of involvement in an ordeal that allegedly saw a woman plied with drugs, tortured and raped.

They are said to have invited the woman to a property in Banbury, subjected her to assaults that allegedly included cutting her hair, burning her with a cigarette, hitting her with vacuum cleaner parts and putting pliers on her tongue.

A youth, 17, is also accused of attempting to wound the woman. Prosecutors claim he urinated on her and attacked her with a ‘scourer’.

The ordeal is said to have happened between June 20 and 23 of this year.

In November, their 10 day trial was fixed for February 14.

Alexander Azevedo, 20, of Britannia Road, Banbury, has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, false imprisonment, causing actual bodily harm and administering a substance with intent to stupefy and overpower to enable sexual activity.

Natasha Washington, 19, of no fixed address, denies false imprisonment, ABH, administering a substance with intent to enable sexual activity, and assisting the commission of an offence.

Sonny Weir, 19, of Pope Walk, Banbury, has pleaded not guilty to ABH, administering a substance with intent to enable sexual activity, and encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence.

A 17-year-old youth has pleaded not guilty to harassment with intent to cause fear of violence and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm. He is accused of urinating on the woman, hitting her and ‘stabbing’ her with a scourer.

Another boy, 16, denies assisting an offender by flushing hair cuttings down the toilet.

Pair accused of assisting Didcot killers

Two people will stand trial accused of assisting Didcot killers Brookton Lagan and Taison Cyrille.

The men were sentenced to life imprisonment last year for fatally stabbing dad-of-three Darren MacCormick in the Oxfordshire town in January 2020.

Aiysha Lazereg and Zarahn Zaman, both 20, deny assisting Lagan and Cyrille between January 8 and 11, 2020, by giving them clothing, money and travel documents.

Brookton Lagan and Taison Cyrille Picture: TVP

Prosecutors claim Zaman also bought a mobile phone that had been in Lagan’s possession at the time of Mr MacCormick’s murder. He is said to have retained and used the device between January 8 and February 5 last year.

Zaman, of Fullers Slade, Milton Keynes, has pleaded not guilty to assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice. Lazereg, of Downhead Park, Milton Keynes, denies a single count of assisting an offender.

Their trial, expected to last up to five days, will begin on May 24.

Police commissioner candidate denies electoral fraud

Former police and crime commissioner candidate Jonathon Seed will fight allegations that he committed electoral fraud.

The 63-year-old won the most votes in race to be named Wiltshire and Swindon’s police and crime commissioner in May 2021.

But he was forced to pull out the day before the vote count after it emerged that a 30-year-old drink driving conviction disqualified him from standing in the election.

Appearing before Oxford Crown Court in November, Seed, of Bromham, Wiltshire, pleaded not guilty to making a false statement on election papers.

Jonathon Seed leaves Oxford Crown Court

Prosecutors claim that on March 21, 2021, Mr Seed wrongly said in nomination papers that he was not disqualified from standing in the Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner election. He was charged after an investigation by Thames Valley Police’s fraud squad.

He will stand trial on July 18. The trial is expected to last three days.

READ MORE: Councillor in court on electoral fraud charge

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