Julia James: Police given more time to question suspect

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Tammy Hughes9 May 2021
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Police have been given more time to question a man arrested in connection with the death of PCSO Julia James.

A man in his 20s from the Canterbury area was arrested at 9.30pm on Friday. Kent Police have been granted a 36-hour extension to his detention.

Ms James, a popular community support officer, was found dead in Akholt Wood near her home in Snowdown, Kent, on April 27.

She was attacked while walking her beloved Jack Russell Toby, who stayed with her body until it was found.

A post-mortem examination revealed she had died from significant head injuries.

Police arrested a man after Julia James’s daughter spotted a Facebook post about a possible suspect.

Bethan Coles, 31, who is a police officer, noticed a woman had commented on a Kent Police appeal for more information about a man who could be “crucial” to the case.

An unnamed woman replied about something her daughter had seen but it was buried beneath dozens of other responses, the Sunday Times reports.

Julia James
PA Media

Ms Coles urged the woman to contact police.

“Please go to the police if you have any information. We would be so grateful x,” Ms Coles wrote.

Yesterday forensic officers were seen searching a new build home in Aylesham close to where Ms James’s body was found.

Kent Police said: “A search at a property in Sunshine Corner Avenue, Aylesham is linked to enquiries being made in relation to the murder of Julia James.

“There is no further guidance at this stage.”

The National Crime Agency said it was still supporting Kent Police with officers from its Major Crime Investigative Support unit, as well as giving them access to specialists.

The attack has terrified women living in the close-knit community, leaving many afraid to leave their homes.

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