Man charged with murdering PCSO Julia James due to appear in court

21 year old Callum Wheeler from Aylesham is accused of inflicting serious head injuries on her

A man charged with the “extremely violent” murder of PCSO Julia James is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.

Callum Wheeler, 21, from Aylesham, is accused of inflicting serious head injuries on her while she was out walking her dog.

Ms James, 53, was found dead in Akholt Wood, close to her home in Snowdown, Kent, on April 27, with her Jack Russell dog, Toby, by her side.

The police community support officer was described as “fiercely loyal” by her family and her death led to an outpouring of grief in the local community.

Wheeler is due to appear at the Old Bailey in London via videolink on Tuesday.

He previously appeared at Maidstone Crown Court via videolink from Belmarsh prison for a brief hearing last month, but has yet to enter a plea.

At that hearing, prosecutor Martin Yale described the attack on Ms James as “extremely violent”.

A trial date of November 29 has been set.

The investigation into the death of Ms James has seen officers visit about 2,000 homes and about 1,500 pieces of information submitted by the public.

Large numbers of police officers spent hours combing fields in the area and appealing for witnesses as the inquiry continued.

Detectives also created a reconstruction of Ms James’ last known movements, featuring her Jack Russell dog Toby and an actress wearing identical clothing, in a bid to encourage witnesses to come forward.

Published: 08/06/2021 by Radio NewsHub