Four in court over man's stab death

Four people have appeared in court after a man died in an alleged stabbing in Lincolnshire.

Danny Fowler, 37, died after an incident in Union Street on 12 March, Lincolnshire Police said.

Ryan Townhill, 29, of no fixed address, Martin Doocey, 55, of Waverley Court, Queen Street, Market Rasen, and Shannon Doocey, 31, of Mill Street, Market Rasen appeared at Lincoln Crown Court charged with murder.

A fourth defendant, Joshua Wood, 23, of Malvern Road, Scunthorpe, also appeared, charged with threatening with an offensive weapon in a public place.

Shannon Doocey has also been charged with having an offensive weapon in a public place and Townhill is additionally charged with having a bladed article in a public place.

No pleas were entered and the case was adjourned for a further hearing at Lincoln Crown Court on 11 May.

The three accused of murder were remanded in custody and Wood was granted conditional bail.

A provisional trial date has been set for 14 September at Lincoln Crown Court.

A 26-year-old woman who was previously arrested on suspicion of manslaughter has been released on conditional police bail while investigations continue.

In response to the incident, a public meeting was held by Lincolnshire Police at The Festival Hall on Monday to discuss any concerns local residents had.

Supt Jo Fortune said: "We have got some challenges around resourcing and we do have issues across the county that we have got to manage.

"I can't make any promises of putting police officers on the street day in and day out in and around Market Rasen, but absolutely we will look at what action we can take to make them [residents] feel safer."

Councillor Stephen Bunney, who represents the town on Lincolnshire County Council and West Lindsey District Council, said he hoped another community meeting would take place in the next three to four weeks to "ensure what has been said has been listened to".

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