Father in court again on murder charge over death of nine-year-old daughter

13 Aug 2026 • 11:05 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Father in court again on murder charge over death of nine-year-old daughter

A 35-year-old father charged with murder following the death of his nine-year-old daughter in Arbroath has appeared in court for a second time.

Minnie Merriman, from West Yorkshire, was found injured just after midnight on August 3 at the Elliot industrial estate in the Angus town, while her family were camping in the area.

She was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where she later died.

Minnie Merriman was found injured in the early hours of Monday and later died in hospital (PA) (PA Wire)

Her father Christopher Rice, 35, of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court last week charged with murder.

He made a further appearance in private at the same court on Thursday.

He did not enter a plea and was fully committed and remanded in custody.

The date of his next court appearance is yet to be confirmed.

Minnie’s family previously paid tribute to her in a statement released through Police Scotland.

Floral tributes were left at the scene in Arbroath (Rachel Keenan/PA) (PA Wire)

They said: “We are devastated with the loss of our beloved, absolutely incredible, beautiful and brave Minnie Moo.

“Our family asks that our privacy is respected at this extremely difficult time.”

There was a police presence in the area for a number of days following the incident while further investigations were carried out.

Floral tributes were also left at the scene.

It is understood West Yorkshire Police supported Police Scotland’s investigation.

Read More

Colorado mom has her son ‘arrested’ when he refused to take first day of school photo

Newswav Malaysia Best News App

Newswav is an online content aggregator and obtains its content from different online sources. The content in the app do not belong to Newswav nor do they reflect the opinions of Newswav and its staff. Your use of this app indicates your understanding and acceptance of this information.

Newswav Sdn. Bhd. (201701008480 (1222645-M)) 2026 All Rights Reserved