A man has been charged following a death in Bournemouth after an early morning assault.
Emergency services were called at around 3am on Monday 6 April 2026 to reports of an incident outside MyBar in Charminster Road, where a 41-year-old man from Christchurch was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim has been named by his family as James Blanch, and officers say his relatives are continuing to be kept informed as enquiries progress, while several arrests were made in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
Three men aged 37, 46 and 34 were initially arrested on suspicion of murder and have since been released under investigation, while a further 39-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has been released on bail.
A 35-year-old Bournemouth man, Rico Wilson, has now been charged with murder following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service and is due to appear at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 8 April 2026.
Detective Chief Inspector Nicky Jenkins said a charge had been authorised “following a detailed investigation” and added that it is important the judicial process is allowed to proceed without public commentary that could affect the case.
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