GUILTY UK - Megan Newborough, 23, raped, found dead on country lane, Leicestershire, 7 August 2021 *arrest*

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Really hope this isn't going to turn into a other 'rough sex gone wrong' story. The dropped rape charge suggests they can't prove if sex was consentual or not. I'm also going with them knowing each other :(
MOO
 
Wearing a grey sweatshirt and grey jogging bottoms at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, Macallum spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address during a brief hearing.

The defendant, of Windsor Close, Coalville, Leicestershire, was not required to enter any pleas and was remanded into custody to appear at the city’s crown court on Wednesday afternoon.

Man remanded on murder charge over death of woman found dumped in country lane
 
From the link:
_____

A man has been charged with murder after a 23-year-old woman was found dead in a country lane following an online date.

Human resources adviser Megan Newborough was reported missing when she failed to return from the meeting on Friday evening.

Her frantic parents used tracking software to find her mobile phone discarded in a hedgerow on Saturday evening and police were called.

However, Miss Newborough’s body was discovered in the early hours of Sunday six miles away in a rural lane outside the village of Woodhouse Eaves in Leicestershire.
 
From the link:
_____

A man has been charged with murder after a 23-year-old woman was found dead in a country lane following an online date.

Human resources adviser Megan Newborough was reported missing when she failed to return from the meeting on Friday evening.

Her frantic parents used tracking software to find her mobile phone discarded in a hedgerow on Saturday evening and police were called.

However, Miss Newborough’s body was discovered in the early hours of Sunday six miles away in a rural lane outside the village of Woodhouse Eaves in Leicestershire.

Absolutely heartbreaking. I can only imagine what the parents must have been going through when they tracked to phone and found it the hedgerow. I feel like the tracking software might have helped track the guy down or charge him quicker. Poor Megan, so so sad
 
Some time today he should be charged with murder or released on bail I guess. Though the later rape charge will give police more time to secure evidence I guess. Maybe someone here with better knowledge of how things work could confirm, eg @Angleterre (sorry to bother you!)
Hey no problem at all, I am happy to try and assist as best i can
Firstly, taking the Murder out of the equation for just one moment, let me say that RAPE is the most difficult case to prove and the most difficult to disprove because as others have said, he will likely say it was consensual and even with a living victim ( I’m so sorry to have to write it that way ), it’s difficult enough but this young woman is not even able to speak for herself and tell her own account of what happened.
Moving onto custody times , it’s 24 hours in police custody with reviews by an Inspector or above , 3 times in those 24. You can be authorised up to 36 hours but that has to be authorised by an officer of the rank of Superintendent or above . At 36 hours you need to consider if you are able to charge and either release or remand in custody or if you need more time to secure abs preserve evidence by questioning . If this is the case abs there are evidential trails that must be followed before the evidence is destroyed or disappears or alibis be proven before witnesses can be approached or witnesses still to be spoken to then you can ask for an extension on the custody clock but this has to be done in a magistrates court before the magistrate. You have to succeed in your explanation to the magistrate as to why you need to complete these actions now and potentially go against the suspects human rights by detaining them so the magistrate has to be satisfied that a custody extension is legal, justified and necessary and proportionate to what is hoping to be achieved. You then have to explain possible times it will take to complete these actions because the magistrate will not give you the full 96 hours maximum detention unless they are 100% satisfied that they are required , even if they grant for example 90 hours if they feel it’s what the enquiries and further questioning will take . But often they realise that it’s a serious offence and the full 96 are required but once that’s all been used up then it’s charge or release . Hope that helps @AcbMurders
 
A 29-year-old man accused of killing a young woman whose body was found on a roadside has made a second court appearance.

[...]

No plea was entered and defence barrister, Robin Howat, said he would not be making an application for bail.

[...]

Discussions about fixing a two-week trial slot for next year resulted in a March date being agreed by all parties.

Judge Timothy Spencer QC adjourned this afternoon's preliminary hearing for a 'trial preparation' hearing to take place at the same court on Friday, October 1.

Murder accused appears before crown court judge
 
Hey no problem at all, I am happy to try and assist as best i can
Firstly, taking the Murder out of the equation for just one moment, let me say that RAPE is the most difficult case to prove and the most difficult to disprove because as others have said, he will likely say it was consensual and even with a living victim ( I’m so sorry to have to write it that way ), it’s difficult enough but this young woman is not even able to speak for herself and tell her own account of what happened.
Moving onto custody times , it’s 24 hours in police custody with reviews by an Inspector or above , 3 times in those 24. You can be authorised up to 36 hours but that has to be authorised by an officer of the rank of Superintendent or above . At 36 hours you need to consider if you are able to charge and either release or remand in custody or if you need more time to secure abs preserve evidence by questioning . If this is the case abs there are evidential trails that must be followed before the evidence is destroyed or disappears or alibis be proven before witnesses can be approached or witnesses still to be spoken to then you can ask for an extension on the custody clock but this has to be done in a magistrates court before the magistrate. You have to succeed in your explanation to the magistrate as to why you need to complete these actions now and potentially go against the suspects human rights by detaining them so the magistrate has to be satisfied that a custody extension is legal, justified and necessary and proportionate to what is hoping to be achieved. You then have to explain possible times it will take to complete these actions because the magistrate will not give you the full 96 hours maximum detention unless they are 100% satisfied that they are required , even if they grant for example 90 hours if they feel it’s what the enquiries and further questioning will take . But often they realise that it’s a serious offence and the full 96 are required but once that’s all been used up then it’s charge or release . Hope that helps @AcbMurders
Thank you @Angleterre A lot more complex than I imagined
 
I'm really surprised that it seems to have been someone she met arranged via an online date. How did he think he would not get caught? Surely there is a digital trail of them arranging to meet? Perhaps that's how he was caught so quickly? Because even if he used false name I still think police could trace the IP address etc. Her poor family,finding her phone in the hedge...it's stomach churning :(
 
There have been a couple of “first date” murders in the UK, including this one where victim and perpetrator met online and booked into a hotel together. Hard to see how a person thinks they can get away with it.

Katie Locke inquest: First-date murderer was talking to 20 women

IMO leaving a body by the roadside isn't the action of someone who has planned anything, to me it's a panicked reaction to an unexpected event. I wonder if the police asking for sightings of the car was for when he was driving around trying to work out what to do. As the police were able to arrest him so quickly it doesn't sound like he tried to run away or evade them in any way.

JMO/IMO
 
Today McCullam, 29, appeared before Leicester Crown Court charged with murdering Megan.

He remained emotionless as he appeared via video link wearing a black t-shirt and jeans, and only spoke to confirm his name, age and address.

McCullam was not required to enter a plea as psychiatric reports had not been prepared for the case.

Judge Timothy Spencer told the court he was ...dismayed... by the delays and set a date for a three-week murder trial on March 7 next year.

Remanding McCullam in custody, the judge added: ...Mr McCullum, there is a trial date set for March 7.

...You need to be seen by various medical professionals and there will be further hearing before me on November 26 when we will see what progress has been made.


https://neonews.ml/politics/man-in-...egan-newborough-23-found-dead-in-country-lane
 
Man, 29, admits killing 23-year-old HR advisor whose body was found in a country lane | Daily Mail Online

"A man has today admitted killing a vicar's granddaughter but denied murdering her.

Ross McCullam, 29, is accused of murdering Megan Newborough, 23, on Friday August 6.

The body of the 23-year-old was found in a country road in Woodhouse Eaves, near Loughborough the day after her family reported her missing.

The HR advisor, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, was reported missing the previous day after she failed to return home following an online date.

Appearing via video-link from HMP Leicester on Friday, McCullam denied murder and pleaded guilty to an alternative offence of manslaughter, on the grounds of diminished responsibility and loss of control."
 

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