A 29-YEAR-OLD man has today denied killing soldier Jack Mitchell at the Warehouse nightclub in Stroud in February.

Jake Davies, of Bowbridge Lock, Stroud, pleaded not guilty at Gloucester Crown Court to the manslaughter of Jack during the early hours of Sunday, February 5.

His case was immediately transferred to Bristol Crown Court for further hearings and trial because Gloucester does not have judges qualified to deal with such a serious charge.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC formally sent the case to Bristol and told Davies to appear there for a progression hearing next Monday, June 19.

Davies was granted bail on condition he does not go to any on-licensed premises in Stroud.

About a dozen people in the public gallery listened as the judge told him: "You cannot be tried here because we won't have High Court judges here regularly enough to afford swift trial of your case.

"We shall have to send it down to Bristol and it will be there next Monday.

"We shall notify Bristol that your plea is not guilty.

"Counsel in the case will tell the court how long it is going to take and it wil be fixed for trial."

The charge relates to the death of army gunner Mr Mitchell, 24, in the early hours of Sunday, February 5.

Hundreds of people subsequently gathered to honour the former Painswick rugby player at his funeral on March 10. He was given full military honours including a three-volley salute.

A JustGiving page set up by the SNJ in his memory raised £1,647 which will be given to a Kenyan orphanage where Jack spent six months while serving with the army.

At that time his mother Kate Mitchell said: "Something worthwhile will come out of our heart-breaking loss and will be a fitting tribute to Jack and the man he was."