Brighton; Nurse In Court Over Seafront Murder

A nurse has appeared in court charged in connection with the murder of a homeless man.

Lauren Bishop, 36, from Seaford, East Sussex, was charged with the conspiracy to murder Lea Williams after answering bail yesterday, Sussex Police said.

She appeared at Brighton Magistrates' Court today and was remanded in custody to appear at Lewes Crown Court tomorrow, a force spokeswoman said.

Mr Williams's body was found in a seafront archway which overlooks Hove pitch and putt by homeless project workers on February 11.

Police said he had been killed in a "brutal, vicious and sustained attack'' with a heavy object.

A post-mortem examination revealed he died from severe injuries to his face and head caused by a heavy object, Sussex Police said. He also suffered multiple fractures to his ribs.

Mr Williams, 45, who was originally from Hastings, East Sussex, was an alcoholic who had been sleeping rough in the archway for the last year, police said.

Bishop is the third person charged in relation to his death.

Michael John Clark, 52, of Trafalgar Street, Brighton, and Edward Phillips, 44, who has connections to Brighton, have been charged with murder and appeared at Brighton Magistrates' Court in April.