A man and a woman have been charged as part of the investigation into the death of 12-year-old Bobby Bloomfield, who was hit by a car in Essex.
Emergency services were called to Ashwells Road in Pilgrims Hatch, near Brentwood, at around 5.40pm on June 7 after reports that a vehicle had collided with a child.
Bobby, 12, was found with serious injuries at the scene and was taken to hospital, where he died hours later.
A 15-year-old boy, who is alleged to have been driving the car and cannot be identified for legal reasons, has been charged with Bobby’s murder. He appeared at Basildon Crown Court earlier this month and pleaded not guilty to one count of murder.
William Lunnon, 43, has also been charged with murder, with prosecutors alleging he was in the vehicle at the time.
Lunnon, of Ashwells Road in Pilgrims Hatch, appeared at the court via video link from HMP Chelmsford earlier this month.
He entered a no plea to his defence after his defence barrister, Malik Alderi, indicated he will be making an application to dismiss the case against him.
Essex Police have confirmed the pair are next due to appear at Basildon Crown Court on October 6.
Now, the force said two more people have also been charged in connection with the investigation.
William Lunnon, 65, of Ashwells Road, has been charged with perverting the course of justice and Ruth Lunnon, 65, of Ashwells Road, has been charged with assisting an offender (murder), police said.
Bobby Bloomfield died in hospital hours after being hit by a car in Pilgrims Hatch, near Brentwood in Essex, on June 7. A man and a woman have now been charged in connection with his dead
The force said both defendants appeared at Basildon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and were bailed to attend Basildon Crown Court on October 1.
Detective Chief Inspector Greg Wood previously described the case as a ‘complex investigation’ and said the force has made ‘significant progress, including bringing charges and making further arrests’.
During a hearing in June at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court, prosecutor Rohini Majumdar said Bobby was with three friends on Lunnon’s land in the Brentwood suburb when he approached them and asked them to leave.
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She told the court the boys ran off after being ‘followed and chased’ by a vehicle and were ‘subsequently’ followed by Lunnon and the 15-year-old boy in a car, which then struck Bobby.
Ms Majumdar told the court the boy was driving when it struck Bobby. She added he then ‘got out of the car and kicked and punched (Bobby) Bloomfield on the verge’.
The prosecutor said both defendants left Bobby at the side of the road after trying to remove and destroy property at the scene.
She added: ‘They left the scene, and the badly injured boy, and then destroyed potential evidence.’
The collision was reported to Essex Police shortly before 5:40pm.
William Lunnon, 43, of Pilgrims Hatch, is alleged to have also been in the car. He has been charged with murder
There were no applications for Lunnon or the boy to be given bail during the 35-minute hearing.
Michael Stradling, representing the boy, said there was a suitable adult who was able to provide accommodation to him under local authority supervision.
He told magistrates: ‘That is the position at the moment. It is an early stage and you are dealing with someone who is young and has no experience of the criminal justice system. It is a question of whether there needs to be detention.’
The family of Bobby, a Year 8 pupil at Shenfield High School, previously described how he ‘brought light and life into all our lives’.
In a statement, the family – who were supported by specially trained police officers -said: ‘Losing a child is every parent’s nightmare. We are living that nightmare, and no words can ever explain how we are feeling.
‘Bobby brought light and life into all our lives, and we have lost that forever. The hole he has left can never be filled.’
In a separate statement, the school added: ‘Bobby was a student who brought so much fun and happiness to those around him.
‘He was charismatic, full of energy and had a great sense of humour.’