A man has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with the murder of a Chatham grandfather.

Detectives investigating the alleged murder of Steve Berry charged Paul Campbell, 29 with murder yesterday morning.

Mr Berry’s body was found at his flat in Kinross Close, Princess Park, Chatham, on July 12, last year.

Campbell, of Farley Close, was arrested on July 26 in connection with Mr Berry’s death and had been on bail since then.

However, Campbell was charged on Monday and appeared in the dock at the Chatham court during the afternoon via virtual technology and was remanded in custody.

His case was sent to Maidstone Crown Court to be dealt with and Campbell was remanded in custody until tomorrow when he is due to appear there.

A 28-year-old woman, of no fixed address, also arrested on suspicion of murder remains on bail until April 20 and another woman, 26, who was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice in relation to the case, also remains on bail to the same date.

Another man, Mr Berry’s neighbour, Graham Fitzgerald, 47, was taken into police custody on July 12 last year, after finding Mr Berry dead in his flat.

Mr Fitzgerald, who was friends with Mr Berry, 59, was arrested and questioned for three days, but months later was released without charge.

In December last year, Mr Berry’s family revealed he was killed just a couple of weeks before he was about to start his life afresh and move in with his loved ones.

They revealed that Mr Berry was killed just two weeks before he was due to move in with his family and spend Christmas with his children and nine granddaughters.

It was something he had not done for several years.

Mr Berry had lived alone for some time as he battled a drink problem. He had moved to Kinross Close from Brompton about two years before he died.

Speaking exclusively to the Medway Messenger, his stepdaughter Yvette Philpott, 34, said: “He was our dad and we miss him. The past months have been really difficult for us as a family.”

Mr Berry moved to Medway about 25 years ago when he met Miss Philpott’s mother.

Miss Philpott and her brother were just youngsters at the time and the new family set up home in Wayfield.

During the early 90s the couple went on to have a son together and over the years Mr Berry worked hard to provide for his family.

Sadly, after many happy years together, the couple’s relationship broke down and about a decade ago, they split up for good and Mr Berry moved out of the family home.

Miss Philpott, a mother-of-four, added: “Dad moved to Brompton and was working in a warehouse at the time but unfortunately he lost his job and his driving licence.”

It was at this low point in his life Mr Berry lost contact with some of his family and his drinking problem worsened.

She added: “We saw him occasionally and then he moved to Princes Park and we bonded again and would visit him regularly.”

“He would talk to anyone, he was a very friendly person and would never hurt a fly. He would get on with everyone.

“He was a lovely chap and had no malice in him whatsoever, he would never cause any trouble and was a storyteller.

“Dad was also very practical, he would bring me light bulbs or things I needed for around the house instead of flowers.”

“He has nine granddaughters and in August he was going to be moving in with my brother.

“He was so looking forward to it and it is all he spoke about.

“It gave him a new lease of life and he was looking forward to spending more time with his granddaughters.

“Everything was in place for the move, but he was killed just two weeks before it was meant to happen.”