Trio charged with murdering man in street in court

Kieran Shepherd died after an assault in Meadgate Avenue, Great Baddow

Three men accused of murdering a man in a residential street in the middle of the day will next appear in court in January 2025.

Kieran Shepherd, 30, died after an assault in Meadgate Avenue in Great Baddow, near Chelmsford, on Tuesday, 15 October.

Joseph Dawe, 20, of Greenland Gardens in Great Baddow; Zack O'Keeffe, 19, of Stafford Green in Langdon Hills near Basildon; and Harrison Carpenter, 19, of Ben Wilson Link in Springfield near Chelmsford, are all charged with murder and have appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court.

None have entered a plea yet, and a plea and trial preparation hearing has been set for 6 January.

A member of the public found Mr Shepherd unresponsive and Essex Police were called to Meadgate Avenue at about 12:30 BST on the day in question.

Floral tributes were left near the scene in Meadgate Avenue.

Mr Shepherd's family have described him as a "kind and loving son, brother and father".

A statement read: "Our lives will never be the same without him; he will be forever in our hearts.

"His loss has left a massive hole in the lives of his family and friends."

The three defendants have been remanded in custody ahead of their next court appearance.