A man has been charged and is due to appear in court following an investigation into a death in Bournemouth.
At around 3am on Monday, 6 April 2026, officers received a report of an assault outside MyBar in Charminster Road.
A man – named by his family as 41-year-old James Blanch from Christchurch – was very sadly pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin were informed and are continuing to be kept updated with developments in the investigation.
Following initial enquiries, two men from Bournemouth – aged 37 and 46 – and a 34-year-old man from Poole were arrested on suspicion of murder. They have all been released under investigation.
A fourth man was subsequently arrested, and following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, he has now been charged. 35-year-old Bournemouth man Rico Wilson, a British national who gave his self-defined ethnicity as white British, is due to appear at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 8 April 2026, for an offence of murder.
A 39-year-old man from Bournemouth who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
Detective Chief Inspector Nicky Jenkins, of Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Following a detailed investigation, we have liaised with the Crown Prosecution Service and it has authorised a charge of murder. We have continued to keep the family of James Blanch fully updated with the progress of our investigation.
“This matter will now be the subject of active court proceedings and it is vital that the judicial process is allowed to follow its course. We would urge members of the public to refrain from any commentary, particularly online and on social media, that could potentially prejudice these proceedings.”
Detectives are continuing to urge anyone with information that might assist their investigation to contact Dorset Police online or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55260048268. Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online using its website or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.
