Man charged with murder of Defoe's brother

A man was charged tonight with murdering the half-brother of England footballer Jermain Defoe.

Christopher Farley, 33, of Leytonstone, east London, will appear in custody tomorrow at Redbridge Magistrates' Court.

He is accused of inflicting fatal injuries on Jade Defoe, 26, in a street attack on 20 April. Mr Defoe died in hospital five days later.

The attack took place some time before 5pm in Walnut Gardens, near the junction with High Road, in Leytonstone.

A post-mortem examination held at East Ham mortuary gave the cause of death as a head injury. Police said no weapon was used.

Footballer Defoe was withdrawn from the Tottenham Hotspur side to play Manchester United last Saturday because of the death.

In a statement, Spurs said: "All at the club wish to extend their condolences to Jermain Defoe and his family following the death of his half-brother late yesterday."

A 28-year-old man arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice has been released on bail.

Jade Defoe, also known as Gavin and Esco Bars, was popular as a grime MC on the urban music scene. Hundreds of fans joined a tribute page created on Facebook.