Victim's family come face-to-case with man accused of Wychwoods murder

Mark Weston, 34, appeared for a short hearing at Oxford Crown Court after detectives charged him with murdering the 30-year-old mother-of-two in Ascott-under-Wychwood in 1995.

Mrs Thompson failed to return home after taking her dog Daisy out for a walk on Saturday, August 12, that year.

Her husband Jonathan – who was in court yesterday – found her barely conscious and covered in blood on a railway embankment near Shipton Lane three hours later.

Mrs Thompson died from her injuries six days later.

Weston was arrested by police at his home in Dawls Close, Ascott-under-Wychwood, on Wednesday, following a re-examination of the case by police.

Searches of the property continued as he appeared before Judge Julian Hall.

An excavator and metal detectors were being used in a search of the garden.

Ten of Mrs Thompson’s family and friends, including her mother Margaret Simpson and her children, Matthew and Jennifer, were in court as Weston was brought up from the cells.

They filed into court shortly before Weston entered the dock and then left immediately after the case.

They remained silent throughout the 20-minute hearing.

Wearing a striped hooded jacket and with an ear-ring, Weston spoke only to confirm his name.

Lisa Wilson, defending, did not oppose prosecutor Alan Blake’s application to remand Weston in custody.

Judge Hall remanded him in custody until his next appearance, on a date yet to be set.

The case was reinvestigated by Thames Valley Police’s major crime review team, which was set up to look at all unsolved murders and serious sexual assaults in the region.

Det Supt Barry Halliday, the head of the team, said: “The review of such cases is not a new concept by Thames Valley Police.

“This is one of a number of cases being progressed by the team and our communities and neighbourhoods can be assured all unresolved cases remain open and are subject to careful regular review by major crime detectives.”