Teenager accused of murdering his mother, 50, who died of neck injuries in sleepy Hampshire village is named for the first time
- Woman in her 50s was found dead in Hambledon, Hampshire, in July 2019
- Victim was then named locally as ‘reclusive’ mother-of-two Joanna Thompson
- The teen awaiting trial charged with murdering his mother can now be named
- Rowan Thompson, who is accused of the murder, turned 18 earlier this month
A teenager awaiting trial charged with murdering his mother can be named for the first time.
Reporting restrictions have been lifted at Winchester Crown Court after Rowan Thompson, who is accused of the murder of 50-year-old Joanna Thompson, turned 18 earlier this month.
Mother-of-two Joanna Thompson (pictured) lived in a converted pub in the village, where properties can sell for as much as £1.6million
Mrs Thompson was found dead at a property in the village of Hambledon, Hampshire, in July last year.
A post-mortem examination showed she died as a result of neck injuries, according to Hampshire Police.
During a remote hearing, Judge Susan Evans QC adjourned the case against Thompson for a further hearing on August 21 with a trial planned for October 2.
The defendant, who has been detained under the Mental Health Act, did not attend the short hearing.
A female resident in the local area said of Mrs Thompson, following the shocking incident last summer: ‘I didn’t really know her very well, but I sat next to her on a trip to France a few years ago, which we do as a village because we are twinned with a place in Normandy.
‘She was very shy, very quiet. That’s why no one really knows what has happened or much about her.’
Residents said she lived at the property with one of her sons and had an older son who had left home.
Among the many people to speak of their sadness was Caroline Vine, who knew the victim for years.
She said: ‘I feel sick and so sad. She was such a lovely lady. ‘No one had a bad word to say about her.’
This map shows where the woman’s body was found in the Hampshire village
Mrs Thompson lived in a converted pub in the sleepy village, where properties can sell for as much as £1.6million.
Hambledon, near Waterlooville, is best known as the ‘Cradle of Cricket’ after the formation of one of England’s first cricket clubs in 1750.
Hambledon was England’s leading cricket club from about 1765 until the formation of the MCC in 1787.