Man, 19, appears in court charged with murder of Manchester student Luke O'Connor

A 19-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a student who was stabbed to death in Manchester.

Luke O'Connor, 19, from Bedfordshire, was attacked on Wilmslow Road in Fallowfield in the early hours of Wednesday 26 October. He later died in hospital from his injuries.

Greater Manchester Police believe Luke did not know his attacker.

Shiloh George Pottinger, also 19, was detained in the Fallowfield area of the city on Saturday, 29 October.

Charged with murder and with possession of a bladed article, Pottinger appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Monday, 31 October.

He was told by the judge that the charges were too serious to be dealt with at the Magistrates' Court.

The 19-year-old will be remanded in custody until his appearance before Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday, 2 November.

Superintendent Helen Critchley said: “Luke and his family remain at the front-and-centre of our investigation and my thoughts are with them this evening at the end of what will have been the most devastating week of their lives.

“We’ve also felt the shock and hurt in our large student community in Fallowfield, and we are continuing to listen and address the concerns that people have spoken to us about this week.

The second-year business management undergraduate’s family paid tribute to the “gentle giant” who loved music and football.

They described him as “truly one of a kind, whose presence would light up any room”.

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