Teenager appears in court charged with murder of Manchester uni student

Shiloh George Pottinger has been remanded in custody and is next due in court on Wednesday

Author: Henry Williams & Dan DaviesPublished 31st Oct 2022
Last updated 31st Oct 2022

A teenager accused of the murder of a Manchester university student has made a first court appearance.

Luke O'Connor - who was 19 and studied at Manchester Metropolitan University - was stabbed in the Fallowfield area of the city in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Luke O'Connor

Shiloh George Pottinger - who's also 19 and from Fallowfield - appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Pottinger was arrested on Friday and interviewed by detectives over the weekend, before being charged on Sunday.

Pottinger was brought into court wearing a grey tracksuit top and grey pants, flanked my two police officers.

In a hearing that lasted just a few minutes, district judge Mark Hadfield, told the teenager the charges of murder and possession of a bladed weapon were too serious to be dealt with at the Magistrates' Court.

He will appear at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday and has been remanded in custody.

Speaking after charging Pottinger, Superintendent Helen Critchley, of our City of Manchester South District, said:

"Luke and his family remain at the front-and-centre of our investigation and my thoughts are with them."

"We've also felt the shock and hurt in our large student community in Fallowfield, and we are continuing to listen and address the concerns that people have spoken to us about."

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