Man in court over 'triple murder'

Keith Cowell, left, and his son Matthew were shot dead

A man has appeared court charged with the murders of three people who were shot dead at a family home.

Kevan Thakrar is accused of killing Keith Cowell, 52, his son Matthew, 17, and Tony Dulieu, 33, on 28 August in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire.

Mr Thakrar, 20, of Lomond Way, Stevenage, Herts, appeared via video link at St Albans Crown Court.

The defendant, who did not enter pleas, is also charged with two counts of attempted murder.

The attempted murder charges relate to two women - Mr Cowell's 54-year-old sister, Christine Jennings, and Matthew Cowell's 23-year-old girlfriend, Clare Evans, who were both badly injured in the shooting incident.

No pleas entered

A three-year-old girl, in the property at the time, was unhurt.

Mr Dulieu had been living in Billericay in Essex at the time of the shooting.

Mr Thakrar also faces a charge of possessing a firearm with intent to commit an offence.

His brother, Jay Thakrar, 24, also of Lomond Way, Stevenage, and father, Atul Thakrar, 46, of Compton Place, Northwood, Middlesex, appeared via video link charged with assisting an offender.

A fourth defendant, Amanda Dansie, 20, of High Street, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, faces the same charge.

No pleas were entered by any of the defendants during the plea and case management hearing and all four were remanded back into custody by Judge Michael Baker.

A provisional trial date has been set for June 2008.