THREE men have denied killing Boscombe man Geoffrey Reed.

The trio entered not guilty pleas to a charge of murder at a brief hearing at Winchester Crown Court yesterday.

Stuart Raymond Wareham, 25, of Cecil Road, Boscombe, stood alongside Benjamin Henry Walter, 21, and Lee Raymond Wareham, 32, both of no fixed address, at the plea and case management hearing.

They are jointly accused of murdering Mr Reed, 57, in Bournemouth between June 6 and June 14 this year.

Prosecutor Timothy Mousley QC said the trial, which will be held at Winchester, is expected to last four weeks. Judge Keith Cutler set a trial date for March 4 next year and remanded all three defendants in custody.

Detectives from Dorset Police ’ Major Crime Investigation Team launched a murder investigation following the discovery of human remains in an area of woodland off Huntick Road, Lytchett Matravers, north of Poole. The discovery was made as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Mr Reed who went missing from his flat in Cecil Road in Boscombe in the weeks leading up to his death.

A post mortem examination revealed Mr Reed died of multiple blunt force injuries.