Three charged over attack death

Andrew Gardner had suffered multiple injuries

Three people have been charged over the death of a County Durham man.

Andrew Gardner collapsed and died at his home in Arthur Street, Chilton, on 13 March.

A post-mortem examination revealed that the 35-year-old father of four had suffered multiple injuries consistent with an assault.

Two men and a woman appeared before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe earlier, charged with murder, and were remanded in custody.

Clare Louise Nicholls, 28, Simon Nicholls, 23, and Steven Martin, 44, all of Arthur Street, Chilton, are due to appear at Teesside Crown Court on 17 July.

A 51-year-old woman arrested on Thursday was released without charge.

Originally from the Bensham Road area of Gateshead, Mr Gardner and his partner moved to Chilton last year with their baby daughter.

Mr Gardner's three children from a previous relationship also lived with them.