The man accused of the murder of Isaac Clare-Watts, 26, at the Nine Ladies Stone Circle, will stand trial later this year
A man from London is due to stand trial accused of the murder of 26-year-old Isaac Clare-Watts later this year. Mr Clare-Watts died at a summer solstice event at the Nine Ladies Stone Circle in the Peak District on June 22.
At a Derby Crown Court hearing this morning (July 1) Szymon Babynko, of Commonwealth Way in Abbey Wood, appeared over video link from HMP Nottingham, speaking only to confirm his name.
The 23-year-old defendant, dressed in a green and yellow top, was told by Judge Shaun Smith KC he would face trial on November 23, although prosecutor Sarah Allen said that “might be optimistic” and so a back up date of March 8, 2027, was also canvassed by the court, the NottinghamPost reports.
Babynko is alleged to have caused the death of 26-year-old Mr Clare-Watts at the Nine Ladies Stone Circle in Stanton Lees shortly after 1.30pm on Monday, June 22. He also faces an attempted murder charge from June 25 and possession of an offensive weapon from the same date, both of which are alleged to have taken place in Chesterfield.
None of the charges was put to him at the short hearing; he was remanded in custody until his next appearance at the same court building on September 25, when he is expected to enter his pleas to the charges. Steve Cobley, representing Babynko, did not apply for bail on his client’s behalf.
Emergency services attended the scene on June 22 where Mr Clare-Watts, from Arnold, was pronounced dead. The discovery followed the celebration of the summer solstice at the Bronze Age stone circle on Sunday, June 21.
In a statement issued last weekend, Derbyshire police said: “Szymon Babynko, a Polish national, of Commonwealth Way, London, was arrested on Thursday 25 June in connection with the incident. The 23-year-old has now been charged with murder. He has also been charged with attempted murder in relation to an incident in Hady Lane, Chesterfield, on Thursday, 25 June.”
A 41-year-old man was also arrested after Isaac’s death, but was released on bail earlier this week.
Mr Clare-Watts had been employed as a joiner at Nottingham-based building firm Frank Goulding Ltd before departing late last year to embark on a period of travelling abroad. It is understood he had recently returned to the UK with plans to continue his global travels.
In an official statement, the team at Frank Goulding said: “Isaac joined us as a young man in 2016 to pursue a career in construction. He successfully completed his joinery apprenticeship and developed into a very skilled joiner. Isaac was a very popular member of our team and decided last year he wanted to take some time and go and see the world, in particular spending some time in Thailand to develop his Muay Thai skills, which was a passion of his. We are all very saddened to hear the tragic news and our prayers and sympathy go to his family.”
In a statement released last week, Detective Inspector Tony Owen from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), who is leading the investigation, said: “I am urgently appealing for anyone who attended the summer solstice event to please speak to officers as soon as they can.
“A young man’s life has been taken in the most brutal way so it is vital that myself and the team build up a clear picture of the exact circumstances surrounding his death. This is why we urgently need to speak to everyone who was at the scene over the weekend.
“You may have only been there briefly and think you can’t help but you could hold the key piece of information we need to understand what has happened and help us to get justice for this young man’s family. So I would ask, please, that if you attended the event, you contact us urgently so we can build up a picture of the event itself and what has led to this man’s death.
“I also really urge anyone who captured video footage from the event over the weekend to please come forward. You could play a key role in helping us with this murder investigation.”
Anyone with information can contact Derbyshire Police on 101, quoting the incident reference 26*364216.
