Man 'bludgeoned to death and left in bathtub for 10 days', Old Bailey hears

A north London man is accused of bludgeoning to death another man before leaving the body in the bathtub of his home, the Old Bailey has heard.

Dante Forrest, 36, is accused of killing 40-year-old Marvin Dickson at the flat where he was living in Wood Green , north London.

He appeared at the Old Bailey via videolink from HMP Pentonville to face the charge for the first time, speaking only to confirm his identity.

The court heard Mr Dickson’s body was discovered on September 20 after complaints from a neighbour about a smell coming from Forrest’s home.

“The dead body was found in the defendant’s bathtub at his home address in Moselle Avenue”, said prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC.

“The body was found after the upstairs neighbour complained to the council about a dreadful smell emanating from the defendant’s flat.”

It is believed Mr Dickson, who was last seen alive on September 10, had lay dead in the bathtub for around ten days before he was found.

“The victim had suffered very substantial blunt force trauma to the left side of his head, multiple fractures of his skull to the left side”, said Mr Emlyn Jones.

Forrest appeared to be asleep in the prison videolink room before his case was heard in court.

Judge Philip Katz KC adjourned the case until a plea hearing on December 16. He did not enter a plea to the murder charge on Monday.

Police said Mr Dickson’s body was discovered at around 9.45pm on September 20, and Forrest was arrested in nearby Edmonton two days later.

He was charged on September 25, following an investigation by the Met Police’s Specialist Crime Command.

Forrest has been remanded in custody.

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