New trial date set for man accused of killing woman in Lewes

Nicola Stevenson was found dead in a bin in undergrowth on the edge of the recreation ground off Landport Road on November 13, last year.

The mother-of-three had been missing from her home in Stansfield Road, Lewes.

Police believed her body had been there for some time.

Richard Canlin, 41, unemployed and of no fixed address, was charged with the 39-year-old’s murder.

He appeared before Brighton Magistrates’ Court on November 18, via a video link. A trial was then set for April 27, at Lewes Crown Court, but this was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed this week that a new trial date has been provisionally set for Monday, September 28.

A spokesman told the Express a pre-trial review has also been set for Monday, September 7.

Ms Stevenson’s tragic death was initially treated by police as unexplained, but a post-mortem found she died as a result of a blunt force trauma to her head.

Detective Chief Inspector Chris Friday, from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said at the time: “Our thoughts at this time are with Nicola’s family and friends and we are determined to seek justice for them.

“Nicola died following a significant blow to the head. Her body had been placed in the wheelie bin and dumped in the undergrowth and we want to establish when that happened and when she was last seen alive. We know that the bin was probably there on November 1.”

Tributes poured in for Ms Stevenson, who the Express understands was a recovering cancer patient who moved to her home in Stansfield Road over a year ago.

She is believed to originally hail from Edinburgh and was a former pupil of Balerno High School in the city, our sister paper The Scotsman reported.

Her final Facebook post was on October 9.

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