Pair accused of murdering a man in his flat appear in Plymouth court

TWO people have appeared in court charged with the murder of a Stoke man.

Jacqueline Cooke, aged 29, and Ian Gollop, aged 50, appeared at Plymouth Magistrates Court yesterday jointly charged with the murder of Keith Dance at his flat in Molesworth Road.

His body was discovered on Tuesday shortly after 1am suffering multiple injuries.

Cooke, wearing a dark blue sweatshirt and Gollop, wearing a dark T-shirt, both stood in the dock separated by custody officers. They spoke only to confirm their names, ages and addresses.

Gollop confirmed he lived at 128 Molesworth Road – the same multi-occupancy address as 33-year-old Mr Dance – while Cooke confirmed she lived at Victoria Place, Stoke.

Eoin McCarthy, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the case was to be sent directly to Crown court for a preliminary hearing on March 25, with a plea and case management hearing set of June 17.

A bail application hearing was also scheduled for March 18 at Truro Crown Court to be heard before a circuit judge.

Chair of the magistrates Terence Glazier remanded both into custody.