A TRIAL date has been set in the case of a son accused of murdering his father.

Joe Walker was charged with murdering his 65-year-old father, Thomas Walker, on Sunday and was due to appear before Judge Mark Brown, The Recorder of Preston, over a video link from Preston Prison.

However, Walker, 32, of Fir Street, Nelson, did not appear in the prison’s video link suite after Preston Crown Court was told that all new arrivals at the detention facility have to self-isolate for two weeks as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus.

Judge Brown said: “The prison are not able to produce Mr Walker over the prison video link system because he is presently in two weeks self-isolation.

"I was made aware yesterday that the prison has a policy that any new person into the prison is require to self-isolate for a period of two weeks before they can be permitted into the general population of the prison. It is intended as a safety measure.”

A trial date was listed for the same court for April 12, 2021. That has a provisional estimate of five days.

Walker will next appear before a judge on October 19 for a plea and trial preparation hearing. It is at that hearing that he will be expected to indicate whether he is guilty or not guilty of murder.

The charge came after Thomas Walker, known as Tom, was found at his home in Fir Street, Nelson, at 3.35pm on Friday. He died of stab wounds.