A SEVENTH man has appeared in court charged with murder in connection with the death of Mohammed Feazan Ayaz in Denholme.

Stephen Queeney, 34, of Bolton Road, Bradford, appeared before magistrates yesterday charged with jointly murdering Mr Ayaz between June 29 and July 2, 2019.

The 20-year-old’s body was found in Saffron Drive, Allerton, in the early hours of Monday, July 1.

Queeney appeared at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court, speaking only to confirm his name, address, date of birth and nationality to the court.

Wearing a black hoodie and red polo shirt, he was represented by Shahid Ali, who told the court an application for bail would be made at the first hearing at Bradford Crown Court, scheduled for Friday.

Paul Ramsey prosecuted the case, and Benedetto Paolozzi was the chairman of the Bench.

Queeney was remanded into custody ahead of a first hearing at crown court on Friday, to tie-in with a plea and trial preparation hearing for his co-accused on the same day.

A trial date has already been set for January 2.

Six men have already appeared in court, first before magistrates, then at crown court, all charged with murdering Mr Ayaz at Unit 2, Denholme Business Centre, in Halifax Road, Denholme.

A man and a youth are also accused of assisting an offender by helping to dispose of Mr Ayaz’s body.

Suleman Khan, 20 of Sandford Road, Bradford; Farrekh Ejaz, 30, of Tower Road Shipley; Robert Wainwright, 26, of no fixed address; Juanid Hussain, 27, of Silverhill Road, Bradford; Raheel Khan, 27, of no fixed address; and Haamed Ejaz, 28, of Tower Road, Shipley, are also charged with murdering Mr Ayaz.

Shaoib Shafiq, 19, of Gladstone Street, Bradford Moor, and a 16-year-old Bradford youth, who cannot be named because of his age, have been jointly charged with assisting an offender.

A 25-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder has been released without charge.

Five other men and women were also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender in connection with the inquiry.

A 47-year-old woman has been released on bail, two men aged 23 and 24, were bailed pending further enquiries.

A 21-year-old woman was released without charge, and a 28-year-old woman was released under investigation.

Police earlier released details of a grey-coloured Ford S-Max they were keen to trace.

The vehicle, with the registration plate EO56 HHE, was last seen in the Denholme area on Monday, July 1.