Christopher Wright: Pensioner accused of shotgun murder of Richard Dyson appears at Sheffield court
A 72-year-old man has appeared at court charged with the murder of a Barnsley dad, whose body was found more than five years after he went missing.
Christopher Wright is accused of the murder of Richard Dyson, who is believed to have died from shotgun wounds.
Dressed in a grey T-shirt, cardigan and tracksuit bottoms, Mr Wright appeared at Sheffield Crown Court in front of The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, yesterday afternoon (Friday, January 23, 2026) for a pre-trial hearing.
Mr Wright, formerly of Sheffield Road, Hoyland, Barnsley, spoke only to confirm his identity and that he understood the next stages in proceedings.
He has not yet entered pleas, and is scheduled to return to court in March 2026, when the charges he faces are expected to be put to him.
A provisional trial date of June 6, 2026 was fixed during the course of his first hearing at Sheffield Crown Court in November 2025.
In addition to Mr Dyson’s murder, Mr Wright is also accused of a number of other charges, such as preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body, as well as 27 firearms offences including possessing a prohibited weapon and possessing firearms without a certificate.
At the conclusion of today’s hearing, Judge Richardson remanded Mr Wright into custody, until his next appearance.
Mr Dyson was 55-years-old when he was reported missing from Barnsley in November 2019.
In July 2025, human remains were discovered in the Hoyland area of the town.
These were sadly later confirmed to be Mr Dyson.
A post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death was shotgun wounds.
A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said Mr Dyson’s family has been informed of the developments in this case and continues to be supported by their officers.