THE FORMER boyfriend of Dawn Walker has proclaimed his innocence after appearing in court charged with the 37-year-old's murder.Kevin Nunn was brought before magistrates sitting in Sudbury yesterday to hear the case against him adjourned until Tuesday at Ipswich Crown Court.

THE FORMER boyfriend of Dawn Walker has proclaimed his innocence after appearing in court charged with the 37-year-old's murder.

Kevin Nunn was brought before magistrates sitting in Sudbury yesterday to hear the case against him adjourned until Tuesday at Ipswich Crown Court.

And both during and after the hearing, the 44-year-old's solicitor Kevin McCarthy insisted his client would plead not guilty and prove his innocence in front of a judge and jury.

Nunn, a sales rep from Wrights Way, Woolpit, near Bury St Edmunds, has been charged with murdering Miss Walker, from Oak Close, Fornham St Martin, on either Wednesday, February 2 or Thursday, February 3.

He did not enter any formal pleas in response to the allegation yesterday, but Mr McCarthy said: “Through me, he is protesting his innocence this afternoon and will do before a crown court judge.”

Dressed in a dark grey suit, blue shirt and blue tie, Nunn spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth during the hearing, which lasted around one hour and twenty minutes.

During that time, Detective Superintendent Roy Lambert - who is leading the murder inquiry - sat in court, along with representatives from both Miss Walker's family and relatives of the defendant.

Nunn, flanked in the dock by security guards, stared intently at prosecutor Robert Sadd as he outlined details of the case.

He said Miss Walker, a printing assistant who worked in Bury and had a passion for keeping fit and sports, had last been seen at around 10pm on February 2 in Oak Close.

Her body, 95% of which had suffered burns, was discovered semi-naked near the River Lark in Fornham Park two days later by a mother and daughter out walking.

Following Mr Sadd's submissions, Mr McCarthy presented an application for bail.

He told the bench Nunn had been in a relationship with Miss Walker for around two-and-a-half years, and had two children from a previous marriage, which had ended 12 years ago.

Rejecting the application for bail, Muriel Lawrence, chairman of the bench, said: “You will be sent to the crown court at Ipswich for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, 22 March.

“Until your appearance at court, you are remanded in custody.”

n A second man arrested in connection with the murder has been bailed to return to police on April 19.