A man and a teenage boy appeared in court today charged with the murder of a 12-year-old who died after being hit by a vehicle on a country road.
William Lunnon, 43, was remanded in custody while the 15-year-old, who can’t be named for legal reasons, was sent to a secure youth accommodation by magistrates in Chelmsford, Essex.
The pair are charged with killing schoolboy Bobby Bloomfield, who suffered serious injuries in Pilgrims Hatch, Essex, on Sunday afternoon and died soon after in hospital.
Lunnon, who lives in Pilgrims Hatch, was wearing a grey tracksuit and the boy who was in blue jeans and a navy-coloured top as they appeared together in the glass-fronted dock.
They spoke only to confirm their names, addresses and dates of birth.
They will next appear for a preliminary hearing tomorrow at Chelmsford Crown Court.
Prosecutor Rohini Majumdar said that Bobby was with three friends on Lunnon’s land in the Brentwood suburb when he approached them and asked them to leave.
The boys are said to have run off and were ‘subsequently’ followed by Lunnon and the boy in a car.
Bobby Bloomfield, 12, suffered serious injuries in Pilgrims Hatch, Essex, on Sunday afternoon and died soon after in hospital
Ms Majumdar told the court the boy was driving when it struck Bobby. She added that he then ‘got out of the car and kicked and punched (Bobby) Bloomfield on the verge’.
The prosecutor said that both defendants left him at the side of the road after trying to remove and destroy property at the scene.
She added: ‘They left the scene, and the badly injured boy, and then destroyed potential evidence.’
There were no applications for Lunnon or the boy to be given bail during the 35-minute hearing.
Michael Stradling, representing the boy, said there was a suitable adult who was able to provide accommodation to him under local authority supervision.
He told magistrates: ‘That is the position at the moment. It is an early stage and you are dealing with someone who is young and has no experience of the criminal justice system. It is a question of whether there needs to be detention.’
Achilleas Achillea, defending Lunnon, said he would not be applying for bail at the hearing as magistrates had no power to grant it.
Mr Achillea added: ‘The only thing I will say is that he doesn’t accept at all the case made by my friend [the prosecutor], or that he sought to remove or destroy evidence.’
Bobby had been playing with three friends on William Lunnon’s property in the Brentwood suburb when he approached them and asked them to leave, Chelmsford Magistrates Court was told
A representative from the local Youth Offending Team said they wanted to carry out assessments of the teenager and any potential address he could be sent to before having an opinion about where he should be sent.
Presiding magistrate Lynette Brown told Lunnon: ‘It is an indictable-only offence which cannot be heard in the magistrates court due to the seriousness of the charge.
‘You will be remanded in custody to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court tomorrow for a preliminary hearing.’
Turning to the teenager, she said: ‘We have had to consider youth remanding criteria, your interests and welfare, and whether there are exceptions to grounds for bail.’
But she ruled that he should be remanded to youth detention accommodation until appearing tomorrow at the crown court.
Two men, aged 65 and 54, and two women, aged 65 and 45, all from Pilgrims Hatch, who were arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, remain in custody.
Essex Police said they were initially called at 5.40pm on Sunday to reports of a vehicle colliding with a child in Ashwells Road, Pilgrims Hatch.
Detective Chief Inspector Greg Wood of Essex Police said in a statement yesterday: ‘This remains a complex investigation and we have made significant progress, including bringing charges and making further arrests.
Police at Greenacres Farm on Ashwell’s Road, Pilgrim’s Hatch, where Bobby died
‘Our focus remains on establishing the full circumstances and supporting Bobby’s family, who have suffered an unimaginable loss.
‘We continue to urge anyone with information to come forward. Even the smallest detail could help us build a clear and accurate picture of events.
‘If you were in the area at the time, or have anything that could assist our investigation, please report it via the public portal.’
Bobby’s family who are being supported by specially trained police officers, said in a statement: ‘Losing a child is every parent’s nightmare. We are living that nightmare and no words can ever explain how we are feeling.
‘Bobby brought light and life into all our lives and we have lost that forever. The hole he has left can never be filled. We would ask for our privacy to be respected as we pull together as a family at this horrific time.’
As people laid flowers at the scene on Tuesday, one woman said: ‘This should never have happened. Bobby was a lovely young lad. This is a complete tragedy.
‘It is a heartbreaking situation. Everyone is devastated. Bobby has had his life snatched away from him in the most disturbing way. It makes no sense.’
A series of tributes were placed at the scene. One note read: ‘Bobby, you were greatly loved by everyone and you will be greatly missed. Always and forever.’
Floral tributes and messages have been left for the tragic schoolboy at the scene
Another said he would be ‘forever missed’. A third read: ‘We will miss you Bobby but we know you are up in the sky. Your presence will never leave me. Rest easy.’
A fourth added: ‘Bobby, gone far too soon. I enjoyed the times we had together. You will be forever missed. Thinking of your family at this time of hurt and in pain.’
Bobby was a student at Shenfield High School, which issued a statement saying: ‘We are extremely saddened to learn about the death of one of our pupils.
‘This has come as a shock to us all and we send our deepest condolences to the pupil’s family. We are supporting our pupils, staff and wider school community.’
Pilgrims Hatch is a community on the outskirts of Brentwood and is known as an upmarket family-friendly suburb in a semi-rural area close to green belt land.
The area with a population of 6,000 has been used in filming for ITV reality show The Only Way Is Essex and was home to former cast member Michael Hassini.
Police urged residents to review any CCTV they have from 8am to 7pm on Sunday, and to get in touch with the force through a public portal that has been set up.
