A MAN has appeared in court charged with murdering a mum-of-six who was found unconscious on a footpath.
Anita Rose, 57, was discovered with serious head injuries after she was attacked while walking springer spaniel Bruce on July 24.
Anita Rose was found unconscious on a track while walking her dog[/caption]
She was rushed to hospital following the horror in Brantham, Suffolk, but sadly died four days later.
Roy Barclay appeared at Ipswich Crown Court today charged with murdering Anita on July 24.
The 55-year-old spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and that he is of no fixed address.
Barclay was not asked to enter a plea during the brief hearing.
He was remanded in custody ahead of a plea hearing on January 31.
Judge Martyn Levett set a provisional trial date of May 27, 2025.
Police previously released a map that shows Anita’s last movements after she left her home in Palfrey Heights with Bruce at around 5am.
From there, the gran-of-13 made her way to Newmill Lane before doubling back on herself.
A dog walking app she was using to record the journey stopped at around 6.03am as she reached the top of the lane.
At 6.25am, a member of the public found Anita face down on a track near Rectory Lane between a railway line and the Anglia Water sewage treatment plant.
Officers were able to locate her iPhone but are still searching for her quilted black wallet-style phone case, which features a gold crown and stud detail.
Anita’s cerise Regatta Calderdale II jacket, which she is believed to have been wearing the morning she was attacked, is also still missing.
A post mortem failed to establish her exact cause of death and further tests are being carried out.
A man aged in his 20s and a 45-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder have been released on bail.
Police also arrested a 37-year-old woman on suspicion of handling stolen goods but she was also released on bail.
A tribute from her children said: “Our mum was well known and loved in the community.
“She was brutally taken from us devastatingly too early, and we have been robbed of so much time with her.
“She wasn’t just a mum of six, she was also a grandma to 13, a long-term partner, a mother-in-law and a special friend to so many.”
A map released by police shows Anita’s last movements[/caption]
