A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder after the death of a woman at a residential property in Bristol at the weekend.
Avon and Somerset police were called to a property in the St Andrew’s area of Bristol in the early evening on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as 19-year-old Luka Bennett-Smith.
Emergency services were called to the property shortly before 6.25pm and Bennett-Smith died at the scene. Police said a forensic postmortem examination confirmed she died from a number of stab wounds.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons because he is under 18, appeared before magistrates in Bristol on Tuesday.
Ch Insp Vicks Hayward-Melen said: “Our thoughts are foremost with Luka’s family at this hugely difficult time. We are providing them with support through a specialist family liaison officer and they have been updated with the charging decision, which marks significant progress in this murder investigation.
“The family have understandably asked for privacy as they attempt to come to terms with what has happened over the past 48 hours and we’d ask people to please respect their wishes.”
She added: “We know tragic incidents like this one can cause significant concerns within any community, and therefore we encourage anyone who is worried to please make themselves known to officers in the area who are carrying out additional patrols. They will be able to provide assistance and reassurance to anyone who has concerns.”
