This is the prison officer charged with murder after a man was found dead on his 40th birthday

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

This is the prison officer who has been charged with murder after a man was found dead on his 40th birthday. James Johnson, 28, is accused of murdering 40-year-old David Toulson in Salford.

Mr Johnson appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday morning for a preliminary hearing, via prison video link. No pleas were entered during the hearing, and he was remanded in custody by the judge.

The emergency services were called to a block of flats in Adelphi Street just before 5.30pm on Saturday, June 25. Officers were initially called to reports of concern for the welfare of a man.

READ MORE : Rogue landlord who rented out flats without hot water or lighting hit with £20,000 fine

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said Mr Toulson had turned 40 on the day he was found dead.

Mr Johnson, of Clarence Street, Darwen, who is employed as a prison guard at HMP Forest Bank in Salford, was later charged with murder. A trial date was set for December, and a further pre-trial hearing was scheduled for August.

In a tribute released via Greater Manchester Police, Mr Toulson's family said: "It’s with a heavy heart and disbelief that our beloved son, brother and uncle Dave, tragically lost his life on 25th June 2022. As a family we are heartbroken beyond belief to have lost him so young.

"He will be forever in our hearts and missed by many."

READ NEXT :