Two 18-year-old men from Portsmouth charged in connection with Bournemouth murder

Two people have been charged in connection with a murder investigation in Bournemouth.

At 1.26am on Saturday (5 August) Dorset Police received a report from officers on scene that a man had received a suspected stab wound following an altercation involving a group of people in the area of The Square.The victim, who has now been identified as 18-year-old Cameron Hamilton from Bournemouth, was pronounced dead at the scene. Dedicated officers are continuing to support his family.Four 18-year-old men were arrested on suspicion of murder in the area following the incident and an investigation was launched.

Two of those arrested – one from Poole and one from Bournemouth – were subsequently released without charge in relation to the offence of murder. They had also been arrested on suspicion of affray and were released under investigation in relation to that offence.After further enquiries, one of the other two arrested individuals – Thomas Betteridge, of Southsea in Portsmouth – has now been charged with murder and possession of a bladed article.The fourth arrested person, who is also from the Portsmouth area, has been charged with assisting an offender and possession of a bladed article.They have both been remanded in custody.

Detective Inspector Neil Third, of MCIT, said: "This has been the subject of a fast moving and thorough investigation and we have consulted with the Crown Prosecution Service, which has authorised the charges.

"Cameron’s family has been updated with this development and officers continue to support them at this difficult time."This case will now be the subject of active court proceedings and it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further at this time as it is vital that the justice system is allowed to follow its course."It is important to also stress that there should be no further commentary or sharing of information online or on social media that could potentially prejudice these proceedings."