The key facts

  • A 14-year-old boy pleaded not guilty at Newport court to the murder of 14-year-old Lilly Jones.
  • The girl's body was found in Duffryn Park in Blaina on 22 June, two days after her family reported her missing.
  • According to the investigation, death was caused by multiple stab wounds to the neck and body; the hearing was scheduled for 23 November.

The defendant pleaded not guilty

A 14-year-old boy from Blaenau Gwent, whose name cannot be reported for legal reasons, denied murdering Lilly Jones at Newport Coroners' Court on Tuesday. Lilly was a girl of the same age whose body was found in a wooded area of Duffryn Park in Blaina on 22 June, two days after her family reported her missing. The report comes from BBC News, whose correspondent covered the hearing from the courtroom.

What is known about the case

According to materials read out in court, Lilly died from multiple stab wounds to the neck and body. At the hearing, the defendant, dressed in a white shirt and dark tie, sat in the dock surrounded by four security officers; when the clerk asked him for his plea, he quietly replied

Remembering Lilly

Earlier, the family described Lilly as the most beautiful, kind and caring girl, who was

Lily Jones, who has black hair and is wearing a pink topImage source, Gwent Police
Image caption,

Lilly's body was found in Duffryn Park in Blaina, Blaenau Gwent, on 22 June

Sir Tom Jones holds a microphone and smiles at the audience. He is wearing a dark blue suit, shirt and tie, and looking away from the camera.A composite image of the same man. On the left he is in a sports hall and holding trophies, and on the right he is sat in a wheelchair in a hospital ward.South Stack lighthouse on Anglesey at sunset