Man accused of murdering schoolgirl Christina Edkins deemed 'unfit to plead'

16-year-old schoolgirl Christina Edkins

A man accused of stabbing a schoolgirl to death on a bus has been deemed unfit to plead until later this year.

Phillip Simelane, 22, is accused of murdering 16-year-old Christina Edkins as she travelled on a bus in Birmingham.

Christina was stabbed as she travelled to school on the top deck of a double decker bus at about 7.30am on the Hagley Road, on March 7.

Simelane did not appear for the 15-minute hearing at Birmingham Crown Court today.

Prosecutor Peter Grieve-Smith told the court doctors had deemed that Simelane remained unfit to plead or stand trial.

He said he expected Simelane to be in a position to plead in two to four months.

Friends and family were in court including the victim's father Jason Edkins. All were wearing splashes of purple in memory of the teenager.

Simelane was remanded back into Reaside secure mental health hospital.

He will next appear for a plea and case management hearing on September 6 at Birmingham Crown Court.

PA