A woman has pleaded not guilty to murdering a man whose body was discovered in Maidstone in June.

Allison Tomlin, 48, of no fixed address, is alleged to have killed 69-year-old John Birney between March 29 and June 8 this year.

Tomlin, wearing a grey sweatshirt and her hair scraped back in a ponytail, denied murder when she appeared at Maidstone Crown Court today.

The court heard the prosecution cannot say when the alleged murder took place.

Mr Birney's body was found at a flat in Rocky Hill Terrace in Rocky Hill.

Judge Philip Statman was told that John Barham, 25, of Quarry Road, Tovil, was arrested on Saturday and has also been charged in connection with Mr Birney's death.

However, he is not due to appear at the crown court until Wednesday, October 21.

Barham was initially arrested along with another woman on suspicion of committing the murder but was bailed and released without charge a month later.

The trial is due to start on Friday, December 4, although the jury will not be sworn in until Monday, December 7.

Both Tomlin and Barham were remanded in custody.

At a previous hearing the court heard Mr Birney had last been spoken to by the house manager on Monday, June 1 and his body was discovered on Monday, June 8.