JAYDEN PARKINSON may have been pregnant, it emerged in court yesterday as her boyfriend appeared charged with murdering the missing teenager.

Ben Blakeley, 22, was remanded in custody by magistrates in Oxford on charges of murder and perverting the course of justice. A 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also remanded in custody accused of helping Blakeley dispose of Jayden’s body.

About 100 police officers were yesterday still focusing their search for Jayden’s body in Upton and Didcot, nearly two weeks after she was last seen on Tuesday, December 3.

Blakeley appeared in Court One at Oxford Magistrates’ Court at 10am yesterday to face the charges of murder and perverting the course of justice.

With short blond hair and a short ginger beard, he wore a dark blue sweatshirt and lifted it over his face as he came into the courtroom.

The accused, of Christchurch Road, in Reading, spoke only to confirm his name, age and address. He was asked to speak up by magistrates’ chairman Mohammad Ramzan.

He stood as the court clerk read the charges to him, telling him he was accused of killing 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson, disposing of her body and lying to the police.

Blakeley was then remanded in custody to appear at Oxford Crown Court at 10am today. He did not apply for bail.

Later, at the same court, the 17-year-old suspect appeared in Court Two charged alongside Blakeley with perverting the course of justice.

The court heard the teenager from Didcot is accused of helping Blakeley dispose of Jayden’s body and other evidence.

The teen – who wore a navy blue long-sleeved top in the dock – was remanded in custody to appear at a youth court hearing in front of a district judge at 10am today in Oxford Magistrates’ Court.

Crown Prosecution Service lawyer John Chappell told the court Jayden had left the One Foot Forward hostel in Iffley Road, Oxford, on the afternoon of December 3 and took a train to Didcot. He said she had told people she had found out she was pregnant.

He said: “As far as the Crown is concerned she is dead and she has been murdered by Ben Blakeley.”

The 17-year-old boy’s solicitor Mark Glendenning said his client “refutes the allegations” but did not apply for bail.

In a statement, Det Chf Supt Andrew Murray said: "During the course of the investigation there has been some suggestion that Jayden may be pregnant.

"At this time we simply don't have any way of confirming whether this is correct or not."

Jayden had been a pupil at Didcot Girls School.

Yesterday headteacher Rachael Warwick said: “As a school community, we are deeply concerned about the welfare of Jayden Parkinson, who left Didcot Girls’ School last year.

“Our thoughts and very best wishes go to Jayden’s family.

“Staff and students affected by this news are being supported well in school at this very difficult time.”

THE SEARCH FOR MISSING TEENAGER.

POLICE yesterday thanked members of the public for their help in the search for 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson.

Det Chf Supt Andrew Murray said police were working “around the clock” to find the missing girl.

He yesterday said police remained in a number of locations in Didcot and Upton as the investigation continues today.

He said: “All of this activity will understandably disrupt and worry the local community.

“Our priority is to find Jayden, and as you can imagine with all of the media attention, we have received a lot of useful information which has led us to focus our attention on these areas.

“The public is asked to be patient and, as we said yesterday, to refrain from carrying out their own searches as it could jeopardise police work.

“I would like to thank the public and the media for all their help with this enquiry and we are doing everything we can, working tirelessly round the clock, to find where Jayden is."

  • JAYDEN is white, of slim build with shoulder length dark brown hair and brown eyes
  • Police are appealing for sightings of a man in Upton or Didcot around 2am on Monday, December 9 with the suitcase described as in his early 20s, white, about 5ft 6in to 7in tall, medium to slim build with short dark hair and probably wearing light coloured jeans
  • The suitcase is about 3ft by 2ft, about 15in deep, probably made of canvas material and probably pale blue in colour
  • It is on wheels, has an extendable handle of two silver bars with a black handle