Overview
- At a short hearing on Wednesday, July 1, Szymon Babynko was remanded in custody and ordered to return on September 25 to enter pleas as the court set a provisional trial for November 23 with March 8, 2027 held as a likely backup.
- Babynko, 23, has been formally charged with the murder of 26-year-old Isaac Clare‑Watts after his body was found at the Nine Ladies Stone Circle on June 22 and also faces attempted murder and offensive weapon charges linked to incidents in Hady Lane, Chesterfield on June 25.
- The defendant appeared by video link from HMP Nottingham, gave only his name in court and did not have the charges put to him at the short hearing.
- The East Midlands Special Operations Unit, working with Derbyshire Police, is leading the inquiry and has issued an urgent appeal for anyone who attended the summer solstice gathering or who recorded footage to contact officers using incident reference 26*364216.
- Isaac Clare‑Watts was a joiner who had recently returned to the UK after travelling and his employer issued condolences; a separate 41‑year‑old man was arrested after the discovery and later released on bail, and prosecutors say the timetable and evidence gathering will determine whether the November date goes ahead.