A WOMAN is due to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Friday accused of shooting dead a 43-year-old man in a Radcliffe street.

Heather Stephenson-Snell, of Crombie Avenue, York, makes her second court appearance to face a charge of murdering Robert Wilkie.

The 45-year-old woman, who is a psychotherapist and author, was remanded in custody after appearing before Bury magistrates on Monday.

She is alleged to have killed Mr Wilkie outside the end-terraced home of his girlfriend Deborah O'Brien in Holland Street.

The body of Mr Wilkie, dressed only in his boxer shorts, was attended to by police and ambulance crews who were alerted at 12.45am on Saturday. It is believed that Mr Wilkie may have gone outside to intervene in an incident next door.

Mr Wilkie, from Crompton Close, Radcliffe, died at the scene. He had suffered a single gunshot wound to his chest.

The area was cordoned off by police while forensic teams carried out a fingertip search.

In court on Monday, Stephenson-Snell, flanked by two security guards, was dressed in a yellow T-shirt and dark blue jogging pants.

She remained silent throughout the hour-long hearing. At one point, she had her head in her hands and appeared to be sobbing.

An application for bail was refused by magistrates. Reporting restrictions were not lifted.

The killing has left many residents in the Holland Street area in a state of shock.

One said: "It's very frightening, especially when you consider children had been trick-or-treating along the street earlier that evening."