FOUR people have appeared in court in connection with the murder of a Southampton man who was shot in the head.

Three men were accused of Jahmel Jones’s murder and a fourth faced allegations relating to assisting an offender and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

All four are also charged over the distribution of hard drugs.

Jemmikai Orlebar-Forbes, 20, Isaac Boateng, 21, and Pierre Lewis, 20, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jahmel Jones.

The 23-year-old was shot at a house in St Mary Street, Southampton, on April 20 this year and died three days later in hospital.

The trio were joined in the dock at Winchester Crown Court by Rachel Kenehan, 34, and they all denied conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine.

Kenehan also pleaded not guilty to assisting the three men by driving to Basingstoke to collect them and drive them back to London where they stayed the night at her home, and attempting to destroy forensic evidence from a pair of shoes with intent to impede Lewis’ arrest.

She further denied three other charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice by claiming she had been the driver of a car caught speeding in Southampton eight days after the shooting.

The three men were further remanded in custody at the conclusion of a 45-minute hearing but Kenehan had her bail extended.

Judge Guy Boney QC was told the trial, which is expected to last up to eight weeks, would be heard in the new year.

All four defendants have London addresses.