A police officer accused of the murder of former Aston Villa player Dalian Atkinson will stand trial in September 2020.
PC Benjamin Monk will face a trial next year, following the death of Mr Atkinson in August 2016. He was not required to enter a plea during his trial preparation hearing this afternoon.
Dalian Atkinson hearing
PC Monk's colleague, PC Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith, entered a not guilty plea to a charge that she assaulted Mr Atkinson, causing actual bodily harm before his death.
The two officers were charged in November following a three-year inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Atkinson, who died on the way to the Princess Royal hospital in Telford, Shropshire.
Mr Atkinson died following the use of a taser device during an incident near a family home in Telford.
The decisions come after a ruling last month that prevented the publication of the addresses of PCs Monk and Bettley-Smith, with Judge Simon Drew believing there to be a "real and immediate risk" to the officers' safety.
Mr Atkinson was most famous for his affiliation with Aston Villa, where he played from 1991 to 1995. He also played for Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday in the then-Premiership, before moving to the Middle East and South Korea to ply his trade.
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