MORE arrangements are being made for the trial of the man accused of murdering six-month-old baby Ethan Hopson.
Jason Redgrave, 24, of Grimsby, denies murdering the tot between December 16 and 23.
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MUCH LOVED: Ethan George Hopson.
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ACCUSED: An artist’s impression of Jason Redgrave, taken from a previous hearing.
The case arose at Hull Crown Court when administrative arrangements for the trial were discussed at a hearing before Judge Jeremy Richardson QC.
At an earlier plea and case management hearing in March, it was agreed Redgrave could be excused from attending this hearing.
At the previous hearing, a new charge of murder was put to him for the first time.
Redgrave had previously been facing a charge of causing grievous bodily harm to Ethan with intent on December 17.
But the prosecution later replaced that charge with one of murder after a second post mortem was carried out on the baby.
During the previous hearing, Redgrave entered an emphatic plea of “not guilty”.
Redgrave was represented on that occasion by barrister Richard Butters, who made no application for bail.
During that hearing, Judge Richardson further remanded Redgrave in custody to face trial on June 18.
The trial has been provisionally listed for about five days, but legal discussions are expected to take place on the first day.
A number of experts are being lined up to give their evidence.
Pathologists’ reports from both sides are expected to be used during the trial.
Ethan’s life support machine was switched off on December 20 but he survived for two days before dying in the arms of his mother, Karly Hopson.
She set up a group on Facebook, called Make A Wish For Ethan, after her son was taken to Sheffield Children’s Hospital and he was placed on a life support machine in December.
Thousands of pounds have been raised by Karly and her supporters in Ethan’s memory for the hospital, which she praised for the care staff gave her son in his final days.
In yesterday’s Grimsby Telegraph, Karly told how she can begin making funeral arrangements now tests have been completed.
Reporting restrictions were placed on the case at Grimsby Crown Court in December and these banned publication of details of both Ethan and Redgrave in connection with the case.
But they were lifted by Judge Michael Mettyear at Hull Crown Court in January after an application by the Grimsby Telegraph and he allowed the names of those involved in the matter to be reported for the first time.
After reporting restrictions were lifted, the Telegraph was able to publish a detailed tribute to the life of Ethan from his mother.