TYLA WHARMBY DENIES MURDERING 12-WEEK-OLD BABY HUNTER HODGES IN RAMSGATE
A 24-year-old man has entered a plea of not guilty to charges of murdering a baby boy.Tyla Wharmby appeared before Canterbury Crown Court today, facing accusations of causing the death of 12-week-old Hunter Hodges in Ramsgate.
Wharmby, who is not the biological father of the child, was initially detained in 2022 following Hunter's death at King’s College Hospital in London on July 15.
An inquest revealed that the infant had sustained severe brain injuries.
The defendant was re-arrested in 2023, and on February 23, he was formally charged with murder and grievous bodily harm.
During today's court appearance, Wharmby, standing before Judge Simon James, simply confirmed his identity and entered a plea of not guilty.
A trial, anticipated to last approximately six weeks, is scheduled for October and will be presided over by a High Court judge.
It is expected that his defense will argue that Wharmby, who resides on Prestedge Avenue in Ramsgate, did not inflict any of the injuries that led to Hunter's condition.
On the morning of July 15, 2022, emergency responders attended a residence on Queen Street where they found the young boy unresponsive, with a swollen head and facial bruising.
Hunter was initially taken to QEQM Hospital in Margate and later transferred to King’s College Hospital in London, where he tragically died later that day.
An inquest held shortly after his death revealed that Hunter had suffered a hypoxic ischemic brain injury.
