Christopher Rice, 35, appears in Forfar Sheriff Court after being charged with murder following the death of nine-year-old Minnie Merriman in an incident in Arbroath earlier this week. Reports agree that Rice faces the charge at the court appearance on Wednesday. The Scotsman says the hearing involves a private appearance. The same outlet notes that the girl’s family pays tribute, describing Minnie as “brave.” The Evening Standard reports the court case in connection with Minnie’s death and identifies Rice as the accused. Both accounts focus on the charge and the circumstances surrounding the girl’s death, with no shared detail on alleged events beyond the fact that the incident leads to Minnie’s death and that Rice is charged with murder. At this stage, the reporting describes the legal process rather than establishes further facts about what happened. No verdict is reported in either source.