Boxing Day death accused gives name as ‘Psycho’

The man accused of shooting Indian student Anuj Bidve on Boxing Day gave his name as “Psycho Stapleton” when he appeared in court yesterday charged with murder.

Kiaran Stapleton, 20, from Ordsall, Salford, was remanded in custody for 24 hours at City of Manchester Magistrates’ Court.

Mr Bidve, 23, described as a “promising and clever” student, was shot once in the head after being approached by a lone gunman at around 1:30am on 26 December. He died a short time later in hospital.

He was with a group of fellow Indian students visiting Manchester for Christmas. The killing generated national and international shock, especially in the victim’s home country.

A scrum of TV cameramen and photographers crowded the prison van carrying Stapleton as it arrived at court, while inside the courtroom was packed with reporters.

Shortly before the hearing began, four armed officers dressed in black stood in each corner of the court.

Wearing handcuffs, Stapleton was brought into the dock and asked for his name. He replied: “Psycho. Psycho Stapleton.”

The defendant, wearing a grey Nike T-shirt and grey jogging bottoms, confirmed his date of birth.

There was no application for bail.

Two officers from Greater Manchester Police have flown to India to meet Mr Bidve’s family after the dead man’s father, Subhash Bidve, was critical of the way the British and Indian authorities have handled the case. Mr Bidve found out about his son’s death on Facebook at home in Pune, India, before police in the UK could contact him.

Described as “clever and sporty”, the student had been studying for a postgraduate qualification in micro-electronics at Lancaster University since September.

Hundreds of people were planning to attend a candlelit memorial service for him in Manchester last night.