Ipswich's Ryland Headley faces trial for 1967 Bristol murder

Louisa Dunne's body was found inside her home on Britannia Road in Easton, Bristol, by her neighbour almost 60 years ago.

READ MORE: Ipswich man charged with Bristol murder of Louisa Dunne

Ms Dunne was found dead in her home near Bristol by a neighbour (Image: Avon and Somerset Police) The cause of her death was recorded as strangulation and asphyxiation.

Ryland Headley, from Ipswich, was arrested in the Suffolk town on Tuesday and charged with the murder and rape of Ms Dunne between June 26 and 29, 1967.

Headley, 92, did not attend a brief hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday where Judge Martin Picton set a trial date of June 16.

READ MORE: Details on Louisa Dunne murder revealed after Ipswich arrest

The trial will take place before a High Court judge and is expected to last up to three weeks.

A plea and trial preparation hearing was fixed for February 14.

No bail application was made and Headley, of Clarence Road, in Ipswich, was remanded into custody.

Ms Dunne was widowed twice - she was originally married to Teddy Parker, a city alderman, and was on track to become the city’s Lady Mayoress, according to reports from the Bristol Evening Post.

After he died she remarried to night watchman John Dunne, who also later passed away.

She lived alone at the time of the attack.

DI Dave Marchant, of Avon and Somerset Police, said after the charging of Headley: “This is an extremely significant moment in an appalling and distressing case which has remained unsolved for almost six decades.  

“We’ve identified and spoken to Louisa Dunne’s next of kin to update them on this development and specialist family liaison officers will now be supporting them - to keep them updated on the progress of our investigation but also to ensure they get access to any specialist support they may need."