Karen Vamplew, of Newark, makes first appearance at Nottingham Crown Court after being charged with murder of Elizabeth Vamplew after bungalow fire

A woman charged with murder following a fire in a bungalow has been remanded into custody until the new year.

Karen Vamplew, 43, of King Street, Newark, was charged with murder last week, nearly two years after the bungalow fire on December 15, 2021.

Elizabeth Vamplew, 77, who lived alone at the property on Eton Court, was taken to Nottingham City Hospital where she died later the same day.

The defendant was arrested on suspicion of murder on December 17, 2021 but later released without charge, before being rearrested on Wednesday last week (September 27) as the East Midlands Special Operations Unit continued to investigate the incident.

Karen Vamplew appeared at Nottingham Crown Court today (October 3), before Judge James Sampson, where the defence confirmed there would be no application for bail.

The prosecution explained it was ‘something of an old case’ and added: “It was only last week the defendant was charged with murder.”

He asked for the case to be next listed in the new year, to give time for evidence to be compiled and experts to be consulted.

Karen Vamplew was remanded into custody until January 10, 2024, when a plea and trial preparation hearing will be held.

A provisional trial date will be set at that hearing.

At the time of the defendant’s re-arrest, Detective Chief Inspector Clare Dean, who led the investigation, said: “This has been a complex investigation and we have been working closely with our fire colleagues and specialist experts to understand the full circumstances behind this deeply tragic incident.

“Following those inquiries, we have charged a suspect with murder. The family are aware of this development and I would like to sincerely thank them for their patience and understanding as we do everything we possibly can to get to the bottom of what happened.”