A Banbury man will stand trial in July accused of murdering Neil Comins.

Janaed Akhtar is said by prosecutors to have attacked the 39-year-old in Cope Road in the early hours of January 3.

Mr Comins died the following day, with a pathologist later giving his cause of death as traumatic brain injury.

The defendant, 39, of Cope Road, Banbury, was remanded into custody by the magistrates on Thursday (January 11). 

At an administrative hearing at Oxford Crown Court this morning (January 12), Judge Ian Pringle KC provisionally fixed the trial for July 1.

Akhtar, who was not at court on Friday, will next appear before a judge at a plea hearing on February 9.

No details about the alleged murder were given by prosecutor Matthew Knight.
Angela Porter appeared for the absent Akhtar.