Jake Brown: Man appears at court charged with the murder of Sheffield dad Kevin Pokuta shot dead in Page Hall

A man has today appeared at court charged with the murder of 19-year-old Kevin Pokuta, who was shot dead in Page Hall.

Kevin was fatally shot in the early hours of Tuesday, December 12, 2023 on Page Hall Road, Sheffield, and died in hospital the following day as a result of his injuries. Kevin leaves behind two children, aged just seven-months and two-years-old.

Jake Brown, 22, of Horninglow Road, Firth Park, Sheffield, was charged with Kevin's murder over the weekend.

Dressed in a grey T-shirt and black trousers, he appeared before Sheffield Crown Court today (Tuesday, February 28, 2024) charged with the offence.

He spoke only to confirm his name during the brief hearing.

Bail was not applied for and The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, ordered for the defendant to be remanded into custody.

No pleas were entered during the course of the hearing, and a provisional trial date was set for October 2024.

Judge Richardson told Mr Brown that he will be brought back before the court in April 2024, when he will be given the opportunity to enter pleas to the charges he faces.

Earlier today, South Yorkshire Police (SYP) confirmed that a woman has become the 12th person to be arrested in connection with Mr Pokuta's death.

"A 32-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to rob. She has been since bailed bending further enquiries," a SYP spokesperson said.

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They added: "The investigation continues at pace and officers are asking members of the public to share any information they may that could help with enquiries. Please call 101 and quote incident number 19 of December 12 when you get in touch.

"In addition, you can pass information directly to the incident room via the Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP).

"Alternatively, we understand not everybody is comfortable talking to the police directly.

"Crimestoppers is an independent charity – you can contact them anonymously on 0800 555 111 or report online.

"We will never know who passed on the information."