Barnsley man, 57, pleads not guilty to murder of ‘lovely lad’ Russell Baxter at Athersley home
A man is charged with murder and perverting the course of justice
A Barnsley man will stand trial for the alleged murder of a “lovely lad” who was found with fatal injuries.
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Russell Baxter was found with multiple injuries in a property on Wingfield Road, Athersley, on September 3 this year.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics, nothing could be done to save him and he died at the scene. He was 41.
After a month-long probe, 57-year-old Phillip Benson, of Wingfield Road, was charged with his murder, as well as one count of perverting the course of justice.
At Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday (November 11), Benson pleaded not guilty to all charges.
He will stand trial on August 2, 2027.
In the days after Russell’s death, South Yorkshire Police revealed how a post-mortem examination to find the cause of death initially produced an inconclusive result.
Tributes flooded in after he was named by South Yorkshire Police on September 8.
Many had fond memories of growing up with Russell and knowing him in school, where he “looked out for everyone”.
Many more referred to “good times as kids” and fond memories from school days, with friends naming him a “lovely lad” who “always looked out for us younger lot when we were growing up”.