A RESTAURANT waiter charged with the axe murder of a man in a Swiss Cottage street made his first Old Bailey appearance yesterday (Wednesday).
Joseph Sheehan, 37, of Belmont Street, Chalk Farm, was seen over a video link from Belmarsh Prison in south London, where he is being held in custody.
He is accused of the murder of gay pensioner Brian Messitt, 67, who died from head wounds on the pavement in Eton Avenue last Monday.
Mr Messitt, who lived in Haverstock Hill, Belsize Park, had recently returned from one of his regular trips to India.
Judge Anthony Scott-Gall gave the Crown Prosecution Service 42 days to serve case papers on the defence and fixed a plea hearing for May 18.
Colin Wells, for the defence, made no application for bail, but asked for a psychiatric report to be prepared on Sheehan, who sat pale- faced and impassive throughout his three-minute appearance.
When the judge asked if he understood that the preliminary hearing was just to map out a timetable towards a trial, clean-shaven and squeaky-voiced Sheehan simply replied: “I follow”.