A dad has been told he’ll stand trial for the murder of his son who passed away in 2021, a full 14 years after sustaining a serious head injury.
Lejunae Wood, 42, from Wuppertal, Germany, made an appearance at the Old Bailey on Tuesday via video link, only speaking to verify his personal details.
He’s accused of murdering Leajunne Wood, affectionately known as LJ, who suffered life-altering injuries when he was just four months old in December 2007 in Hayes, west London. The court was told that the lad tragically died at the age of 14 on December 6, 2021.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
A five-week murder trial has been scheduled to commence on October 5, 2026.
Wood, a German citizen, was also informed that his next court appearance will be on March 3 for a pre-trial hearing.
Pathologist reports presented to the court stated that LJ died due to complications from a severe head injury.
Wood was apprehended at Heathrow Airport on Thursday while en route from Amsterdam to Barbados.
He was charged with murder the following day, according to the Metropolitan Police.
It comes after a mum accused of allowing her toddler to allegedly die in a squalid cot told police she felt “no guilt” after discovering the little girl lifeless. It comes as she faces murder charges over the death of her young girl.
A Utah couple are now being accused of murdering their 18-month-old daughter, following allegations that the little tot was left alone for hours on end. According to court documents, she was fed barely more than toasted waffles and made to sleep in a cot strewn with rubbish, stale food and discarded wrappers.
Carrie Marie Murray and Mitchell Chesnut Murray, both 31, were arrested on Wednesday (December 3) and are currently being held without bail. They each face charges of aggravated murder and aggravated child abuse in relation to the death of their daughter, Ruby Marie Murray, who was found unresponsive on March 19.
According to probable cause statements, Carrie Murray informed detectives she found her daughter “deceased in her crib” around 10.30am. She rang 911 but did not do anything to actually save her daughter’s life despite being a trained nurse. Read the story here.
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