Two in court accused of Mary-Ann murder
Two men were today remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with murdering Mary-Ann Leneghan.
Adrian Thomas, 19, of Battersea, south London, and Indrit Krasniqi, 18, a Kosovan living in Chiswick, west London, appeared at Reading Magistrates Court charged with killing the 16-year-old on the night of May 6.
The pair, who spoke only to confirm their names and give their addresses during the 30-minute hearing, are also charged with kidnap and attempting to murder Mary-Ann’s 18-year-old friend, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
The two girls were abducted on May 6 by a gang of up to six men from a car park at the disused Wallingford Arms pub in Reading.
The girls were taken to a guest house in the town where they were beaten and sexually abused before being taken to the nearby Prospect Park.
Mary-Ann died for a stab wound to the neck but her friend survived despite being shot in the head.
The pair were remanded in custody to appear before Reading Crown Court on May 19.
On Saturday a third man, Jamaile Morally, 21, of Balham, south London, was also remanded in custody by Reading Magistrates and will appear before the crown court this week.
He was charged with Mary-Ann’s murder, the attempted murder of her friend, kidnap and rape.
Two others remain in police custody including a man arrested in south London last night.
Magistrates have also granted police extra time to question another man until this evening, taking the number of people in custody, including those charged, to five.
Thames Valley Police also revealed today that a vehicle had been seized in London in the early hours of Friday which is currently being examined to determine whether it was the car used in the abduction.
A police spokeswoman added that the investigation was continuing.
