AXMINSTER POSTMAN TO STAND TRIAL FOR ALLEGED MURDER OF INFANT SON IN CHARD - ⚖️

Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman's Weekly News

An Axminster man accused of murdering his one-month-old son in Chard is set to face trial next year, a court has confirmed.

Tony Bartlett, 38, a postman from Axminster, Devon, is charged with the murder of his infant son, Atticus Bartlett, who tragically died in hospital on 23rd July 2022 - just one week after emergency services were called to a property in Chard, Somerset.

The case was brought before Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday 16th April for a plea and trial preparation hearing. Bartlett did not enter a plea to the charge of murder during the session.

The court heard that the trial is scheduled to begin on 22nd June 2026 and is expected to last approximately three weeks. A further case management hearing is set to take place on 20th June.

Judge Peter Blair KC, the Recorder of Bristol, released Bartlett on conditional bail pending further proceedings.

According to Avon and Somerset Police, paramedics called officers to a residential address in Chard at around 11.30pm on 16th July 2022. The baby, found in critical condition, was rushed to hospital but sadly died days later.

The case has deeply affected the local community, and residents await the outcome of the trial as justice for baby Atticus continues to unfold.