A STOWMARKET man has appeared in court today charged with murder after a man was killed in a quiet Suffolk village.Kieran Botterill, 26, of Soames Close in Stowmarket did not speak as he was charged by prosecutor Ian Devine with the murder of Zak Hockley-Brown, 21.

A STOWMARKET man has appeared in court today charged with murder after a man was killed in a quiet Suffolk village.

Kieran Botterill, 26, of Soames Close in Stowmarket did not speak as he was charged by prosecutor Ian Devine with the murder of Zak Hockley-Brown, 21.

Mr Hockley-Brown of Woodbridge Road, Ipswich was found dead by paramedics responding to reports of a domestic disturbance in Trinity Walk, Stowupland in the early hours of Monday morning.

Botterill has been held by police since he was arrested close to the scene soon after the incident.

He appeared at Sudbury Magistrates' Court shortly after 10am this morning.

Wearing a grey sweater he looked gaunt as presiding magistrate Helen Williams committed him to stand trial at Ipswich Crown Court on September 20.

He was remanded in custody until that date and Declan Gallagher representing him, made no application for bail.

Villagers in Stowupland say they cannot remember anything like the dramatic scenes which saw roads cordoned off and a mobile incident room set up, happening before in the sleepy village.

On Monday residents of Trinity Walk woke to chaos following the death of Mr Hockley-Brown.

Yesterday the quiet residential road was swarming with police officers and forensic experts carrying out investigations and door to door enquiries.

Today the scene was much quieter with just a lone officer on guard outside the house where the dead man was found.

A council clean up crew arrived at the flat which has been empty since the incident at around 8.30am.

Claire Watkins of nearby Columbyne Close, said: “I was stopped by police as I was walking my daughter to school. “Everyone uses Trinity Walk to cut through but it was closed off. It is shocking because things like this just do not happen around here.

“It is a very small village and you don't hear about this sort of thing going on.”

At the village post office a member of staff who did not wish to give her name said that the killing was the talk of the village and another resident of Trinity Walk who did not want to be named said: “There has certainly been an atmosphere in the village, however, since this happened.”

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