Father of stabbed girl fails to appear in court over date of birth error

The father of eight-year-old stabbing victim Mylee Billingham has failed to appear in court due to an administrative error at the prison where he is on remand.

The case against William Billingham, who has yet to enter pleas to charges of murder and making threats to kill, was adjourned for three weeks by a judge at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Judge James Burbidge QC was told Billingham had not been brought to court from Birmingham's Winson Green prison because of confusion over his exact date of birth.

Defence counsel David Mason QC told the court: "The prison have my client's date of birth wrong by one day and as a result of that he has not been produced from prison this morning."

Mylee was pronounced dead in hospital after being found with knife wounds at her father's bungalow in Valley View, Brownhills, near Walsall.

Billingham is accused of killing his daughter on January 20 and faces a separate charge of making threats to kill her mother, Tracey Taundry, on the same day.

The 54-year-old has been remanded in custody until a further hearing on April 9.