Man in court on David Brown murder charge

1:33pm Thursday 4th October 2007

A MAN today appeared in court charged with the murder of Burnley student David Brown.

David Alder, 38 of no fixed address, was remanded in custody after the brief hearing at Manchester Magistrates' Court this morning.

He was ordered to appear next before a judge at the city's Crown Court on December 20 for a plea and directions hearing.

David was found dead outside the door to his flat at 7.30am on Friday 21 September.

David, 24, who moved to Manchester four years ago, had been on a night out in the city before he began to walk home to his flat in Chorlton Road, Hulme, at around 2.30am on the Friday.

His body was discovered outside his building at 7.30am.

A post-mortem examination revealed that he died as the result of a stab wound to his left thigh.

David, who dreamed of moving to Spain to teach English, was about to begin a Spanish degree at Manchester Metropolitan University.

He grew up in Burnley, attending St Stephen's Primary School, Burnley, Mansfield High School, Brierfield, and Burnley College.

His mother Sylvia Stansfield, 51, lives in Laburnum Close, father Peter in Hollingreave Road, and sister Zoe Brown, 29, in Piccadilly Road, all Burnley.

His half-brother Samuel Barton, 13, lives in Clayton-le-Moors.

Mrs Stansfield and Ms Brown last week paid tribute to him, describing him as a "loving and thoughtful son and brother".