11:00
Woman appears in court
A Birmingham woman accused of the murder of a woman whose body was found in two suitcases last Tuesday has today been sent for crown court trial.
Jamaican national Gareeca Conita Gordon, 27, of Salisbury Road, Birmingham, made a brief appearance via video link at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court this morning and was remanded in custody to appear at Gloucester Crown Court on Tuesday May 19.
Wearing a grey jumper, Ms Gordon was told she is charged with murdering a so far unidentified woman between April 14th and May 12th at Salisbury Road in Birchfield, Birmingham. She did not give any indication of a plea to the charge.
The prosecutor told the court that the case was too serious to be dealt with at magistrates’ court.
Matthew Harbinson defending said he would not be applying for bail.
District Judge Joti Bopa Rai remanded Gordon into custody until her court hearing Gloucester Crown Court on May 19.
A second defendant, Mahesh Sorathiya, 38, of Denmore Gardens, Wolverhampton, has yet to appear before the court.
He is accused of assisting Ms Gordon in the commuissoin of an offence.
12:08
Second defendant appears before the court via video link
Mahesh Sorathiya, 38, of Denmore Gardens, Wolverhampton, was wearing a grey sweatshirt when he appeared before the court after Gordon.
He did not indicate any plea to the charge of assisting Gordon and was remanded in custody until the Gloucester Crown Court hearing on May 19.
Updates as woman appears in court charged with murder