A man aged 48 has appeared at Mold Crown Court today charged with the murder of a teenager on Deeside.

Leslie Peter Baines, of King’s Road in Connah’s Quay, was further remanded in custody.

There was no bail application by defending barrister Philip Clemo.

Baines, who made his first court appearance at Wrexham Magistrates’ Court yesterday, appeared at a preliminary hearing before Judge Rhys Rowlands at the crown court this morning via a live television link from Altcourse Prison in Liverpool.

He is charged with the joint murder of 19-year-old Matthew Cassidy from Liverpool who is alleged to have been killed during a knife attack in a multi occupancy dwelling in Bethel Place in Connah’s Quay on Monday, May 29.

A second man, David John Woods, 19, from Marsh Lane in Bootle, Liverpool, is already in custody charged with murder and was due to go on trial in November.

He formally entered his not guilty plea last month and his trial was due to start on November 27.

Judge Rowlands said that the trial date would probably have to be vacated and he listed both cases before the trial judge, Judge Keith Thomas, at Swansea, on Wednesday next week, for a fresh time-table to be set.

Prosecuting barrister Elen Owen said the matter was further complicated by the fact that the other defendant Woods had been charged with perverting the course of justice and was due to appear before magistrates tomorrow in connection with the same case.

Mr Clemo said he felt that the original trial date would be impossible and realistically a joint trial date would have to be fixed in the New Year.

The court was told that the earliest date for a three to four week trial at Mold would be on April 9.