Two men accused of a knife murder in Leamington are expected to stand trial in November

Two men accused of a knife murder in a residential street near Leamington town centre last year are expected to stand trial in November, a judge has said.

Terry Nall (30) of Regent Road, Harbourne, Birmingham, and Adam Padley (26) of Mellis Grove, Witton, Birmingham, have been charged with the murder of 34-year-old Carl Moorhouse.

The charge follows an incident in Lower Leam Street, Leamington, at its junction with Leam Terrace, at around 10.30 at night on May 28 last year.

The police were called, and when officers arrived they found Mr Moorhouse, from Coventry, suffering from a stab wound to his chest, and carried out CPR until an ambulance arrived.

Mr Moorhouse, who had recently become a father for the first time, was rushed to hospital, but despite efforts to save him, he died at shortly after midnight.

Having been charged last week with murder, Nall and Padley had been due to appear at Coventry Crown Court for a preliminary hearing with three other Birmingham men.

Jamani Cunningham (25) of Copthall Road, Sandwell; Tau Randall (34) of St Peters Road, Handsworth; and Darnelle Sappleton (22) of Farm Street, Lozells, are facing a charge of conspiracy to inflict grievous bodily harm with intent.

That allegation arises out of the same incident, and at a preliminary hearing, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC questioned whether they would also face the murder charge.

He was told that was something the prosecution may consider – and that two more people were also expected to appear at the court next month in relation to the incident.

With only Randall and Sappleton in court, Judge Lockhart said a date was available for the trial to begin on November 8, and announced: “I intend to fix it for that date.”

After discussing the likely length of the trial, he said: “Let us say six weeks. That will take us up to Christmas.”

Nall and Padley had been due to attend the hearing via a video link from prison, but that had not been set up at the prison end – so a preliminary hearing for them was adjourned until the following day.

Adjourning the case for a plea and trial preparation hearing on April 7, the judge remanded Nall and Padley in custody.

Randall, Sappleton and Cunningham, who was delayed arriving at court because the car in which he was travelling had a puncture on the way, were all granted bail.