Overview
- Staffordshire Police charged 47-year-old Charles Lewis with the murder of 38-year-old Ivan Takev in June 2026 and he appeared by videolink at North Staffordshire Justice Centre.
- Takev was found dead after a reported disturbance at a home on Lymebrook Place in Trent Vale on March 10, 2025, and emergency services including paramedics and an air ambulance attended the scene.
- Magistrates remanded Lewis in custody and he is scheduled to next appear at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on August 24, 2026.
- Police say specialist officers are supporting Takev’s bereaved family, who have said he had recently moved from Bulgaria to the UK to work and support relatives.
- The charge comes about 15 months after the death and follows an active investigation that has not disclosed cause or motive, with the legal presumption of innocence applying until trial.