A murder charge following the discovery of a man’s body partly inside a wheelie bin in Plymouth has brought both public concern and a police appeal for restraint as the case moves into the courts.

Right-wing coverage foregrounds the identity of the accused and the circumstances of the discovery. It reports that Mohamed Abotaka, 36, was charged with the murder of 52-year-old Ali Barzai after Barzai was found in a service lane off Grand Parade at about 6.40am on October 21. Barzai was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the report.¹

The same account says Abotaka, who it describes as believed to be from Syria, remained in custody and was due to appear before Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on October 26. It also reports that Barzai was believed to be of North African heritage and that efforts were continuing to identify and contact his next of kin.

Police, by contrast, have emphasised the need to protect the legal process rather than draw conclusions from the limited public information. Detective Inspector Chris Lithgow said: “A suspect is due to appear in court charged with murder and we would urge people not to speculate on this case, especially on social media, and risk prejudicing these ongoing proceedings.”

Lithgow said officers would maintain an increased presence locally in response to community concern and asked anyone with relevant information, images or footage to contact police. The charge is an allegation; the case will now be determined through court proceedings.