Summary

  • Updates on Thursday, 14 April 2016

  • Drawing of a dagger found in the cell of a boy accused of murdering two people, court hears

  • Four people arrested on suspicion of killing Vilson Meshi in Basildon are released from bail without being charged

  • A cat is left with 30 pellet wounds after shotgun attack

  • A 37-year-old man from Colchester is charged with the murder of a 22-year-old woman in Sheffield

  • News, sport, travel and weather updates resume on Friday at 08:00

Live Reporting

  1. Travel: Train cancelled as electricity switched off

    A train cancellation in North Essex to be aware of if you're heading in that direction:

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  2. Drawing of dagger taken from cell of double murder accused, court hears

    Charlotte Rose
    BBC Essex

    The trial of a 17-year-old boy accused of murdering two people in Colchester has heard a drawing of a dagger was taken from his cell at a young offenders' institution after his arrest.

    Nahid Almanea and James AttfieldEssex Police

    The boy admits killing James Attfield and Nahid Almanea in 2014, but denies murder on grounds of diminished responsibility.

    Guildford Crown Court heard one of the drawings collected from the cell showed a picture of a dagger and a face which was half-smiling, half-sad. The words "the man that no one understands" were written above.

  3. A&E nurse sends back 'waste of money' EU leaflet

    Robby West
    BBC Essex

    An A&E nurse from Braintree has sent her EU leaflet from the government back as she is outraged the money wasn't spent on the NHS instead.

    Fezile Lambert said the £9m cost of sending out the leaflets to every UK household was a "waste of money" and could have been better spent elsewhere.

    The government said it had "a right and responsibility to provide information".

  4. Stuart Bingham: 'It's been nice to see my name on the trophy'

    Tom Croasdell
    BBC Essex Sport

    World Snooker Champion Stuart Bingham says he can't wait to start the defence of his title on Saturday.

    Stuart BinghamGetty Images

    Also in the draw for the Crucible is Chelmsford's Ali Carter, who saw off Dominic Dale in the qualifiers, but Braintree's Mark King hasn't made it after losing to Michael Holt.

    Reigning champion Bingham, who is from Basildon, said: "I'm looking forward to going back this year. It's been nice to see my name on that trophy."

  5. Biker calls for deer population control after crash

    A biker from Brentwood who broke his leg after crashing into a deer says more needs to be done to control numbers of the animal in the area.

    Tyler Enkel

    Tyler Enkel hit a deer while riding through Navestock, and says more people will be injured unless action is taken.

    "The problem is, they've got no natural predators, so they're just going to breed and breed," he said.

  6. Man charged with kidnap and burglary after Co-Op burglary

    A man has been charged with a string of offences after an aggravated burglary in Southend.

    Sutton Road, SouthendGoogle

    The Co-Op in Sutton Road was targeted on Monday night. Shortly afterwards, a man got into a nearby car and threatened the driver with a knife.

    A 42-year-old man has been charged with kidnap, aggravated burglary, possession of a bladed article and three other burglaries. He is due to appear at Southend Magistrates' Court this morning.

  7. Father of murdered Ashley Woolley calls for knife crime education

    Braintree & Witham Times

    The father of a boy stabbed to death wants to visit Braintree district schools to warn youngsters about the dangers of knife crime.

  8. Colchester double murder trial to hear from three psychiatrists

    Charlotte Rose
    BBC Essex

    The trial of a 17-year-old boy accused of murdering James Attfield and Nahid Almanea in Colchester will hear more evidence from psychiatrists at Guildford Crown Court today.

    Guildford Crown Court

    The defence will call Dr Simon Hill, Dr David Ho and Dr Peter Misch. All three have assessed the defendant, who admits manslaughter but denies murder, and agree he is on the autistic spectrum. 

    They'll be asked whether they believe the teenager was suffering from psychosis at the time of the killings in 2014 and to what extent his mental state affected his ability to control his own actions.

  9. Colchester man charged with murder of 22-year-old Sheffield woman

    Police in South Yorkshire say a man from Colchester has been charged with the murder of a 22-year-old woman in Sheffield.

    Leigh-Anne MahachiSouth Yorkshire Police

    Leigh-Anne Mahachi was found at a property in the city on Tuesday and died from multiple stab wounds.

    A 37-year-old man from Colchester has been charged with her murder and will appear at Sheffield Magistrates' Court this morning.

  10. Travel: Lorry and car crash causing A13 delays

    BBC Travel

    A crash involving a car and a lorry has blocked a lane on the westbound A13 at Stanford-le-Hope. Congestion is back to the Five Bells junction.

    You can get the latest information on the county's roads here.

  11. Weather: Dry start before showers move in

    Elizabeth Rizzini
    BBC Look East weather

    It's a mixed bag of weather in Essex today - things will start off dry and bright, but scattered, heavy, slow-moving showers will pass across the county later.

    Some of the showers might bring thunder with them. It will feel warm today, though, with highs of 16C (61F).

    Check the latest forecast for your part of the county here.

  12. Headlines: Double murder trial to hear psychiatrist evidence... Colchester man charged with Sheffield murder

    Sonia Watson
    BBC Essex

    Here are the top stories we're looking at this morning:

    • A court will today hear more evidence from psychiatrists in the trial of a Colchester teenager accused of two murders in the town
    • A 37-year-old man from Colchester has been charged with murder after a woman was stabbed to death in Sheffield
    • Weather: Possible showers with a high temperature of 16C (61F)

  13. Welcome to today's Essex Live page

    Jodie Smith
    BBC News

    Good morning! Welcome to today's Local Live page for Essex, where we'll bring you the latest news, sport, weather and travel for the county until 18:00.

    If you'd like to get in touch you can email us, tweet us, or visit our Facebook page.