Man in court charged with murder over death of County Durham bailiff
Former Durham police office Jeff Blair died after an incident in Shildon last week, whilst working as a bailiff
A man's appeared at Teesside crown court - charged with murdering a former Durham police officer, who was working as a bailiff.
Jeff Blair, who was 55, died after an incident at a property in Shildon last week.
Today Robert Davies, 49, appeared at Teesside Crown Court charged with his murder, possession of an offensive weapon and affray.
He appeared at the hearing via a videolink from prison for a hearing which lasted less than 10 minutes.
Judge Jonathan Carroll remanded him in custody to appear before Leeds Crown Court for a plea hearing on April 13.
Mr Blair was a police officer with Durham Constabulary for 22 years before retiring in 2017, prior to becoming a court bailiff.
In a statement, his family said: “Jeff was a much-loved son, brother, father, partner, uncle and good friend to many.
“His ability to apply humour and laughter to any situation and lighten the mood will be irreplaceable to our family.”