Dea-John Reid: Two teenage boys appear in court charged with murder of 14-year-old
Defendants aged 14 and 16 remanded in custody after arrests over killing in Birmingham
A pair of teenage boys have appeared in court in Birmingham charged with the murder of a 14-year-old boy.
Dea-John Reid was fatally stabbed on 31 May in the Kingstanding area of Birmingham.
Two boys, a 14-year-old from Wolverhampton and a 16-year-old from Great Barr, were charged by police at the weekend and appeared in custody at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Monday
Both boys appeared separately before district judge Shamim Qureshi in a hearing which lasted 12 minutes.
The older of the two boys wore a grey hooded top, black cargo-style trousers and a black face mask as he stood and confirmed his name, address, date of birth. He remained silent as the murder charge was read to him before looking at the floor.
The younger boy, meanwhile, appeared in a white face mask and a grey tracksuit.
Neither of the boys can be named due to their age.
The 16-year-old is also facing a separate charge of possession of an offensive weapon on the day that Dea-John was killed at around 7.30pm in College Road
The judge explained to both teenagers the charge they are facing is so serious that their case would be sent immediately to the city’s crown court. Others charged in connection with the murder are set to appear on Tuesday at Birmingham Crown Court.
The judge told the boys: “I have to remand you into youth detention accommodation.”
He added: “You’re appearing in the Youth Court today, in Birmingham, and this case has to appear at Crown Court, and you’ll be produced there tomorrow morning, at Birmingham.”
Detectives called the investigation “fast-paced,” but they are not seeking anyone else in connection with the killing.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Mobberley, from West Midlands Police, said: “We are not currently seeking anyone else in connection with his tragic death, although we’re still keen to hear from anyone with information.
“Even though we’ve secured charges, our inquiries around what happened last Monday remain ongoing.”
He added: “We’ve kept Dea-John’s family fully updated with developments during what has been an extremely traumatic time.”
In total, five people have been charged in connection with Dea-John’s death. These include a 14-year-old boy and two men, aged 35 and 38, who have appeared in court already and are currently in custody.