Murder accused worked with victim, court told

A woman whose body was found in the New Forest after she went missing in east London worked with the man accused of killing her, a court has been told.

Yajaira Castro Mendez, 46, left her home in Ilford on 29 May and was reported missing two days later. Her body was found in the Bolderwood area of Hampshire on Saturday.

An Old Bailey hearing was told Ms Mendez and 51-year-old Juan Francisco Toledo worked together as cleaners.

Mr Toledo, of Crystal Palace, south London, is charged with murder. A plea hearing has been set for 1 September.

At the preliminary hearing on Tuesday, prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC alleged that Mr Toledo had killed Ms Mendez - a Colombian national - on the evening of 29 May at an office where they were working in central London's legal district.

She told the court: "They were both cleaning staff at an office building on Grays Inn Road... and on the day of her death they were both at work."

It was alleged that Ms Mendez arrived for work at 17:00 BST and was fatally injured inside the office block.

Ms Mendez's former flatmate raised the alarm after she failed to move into new accommodation, the court was told.

A post-mortem examination to determine the cause of her death is ongoing in Winchester.

Mr Toledo, a Venezuelan national, was assisted in court by a Spanish interpreter.

He was remanded into custody.

A provisional trial date has been set for 20 April, 2026.

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