A 17-YEAR-OLD youth accused of murdering a gay nurse is set to stand trial more than a year after the alleged attack.

The youth, who cannot be named, pleaded not guilty to murdering 45-year-old Simon Pearse when he appeared at the Old Bailey on May 19.

He will now be tried at the court on September 25, more than a year after the attack in Rushey Green, Catford, on July 30 last year.

Mental health nurse Mr Pearse, of Goodrich Road, Forest Hill, died on August 12.

This was two weeks after the incident in which he suffered a fractured skull.

It happened outside the Broadway Theatre at around 3.20am, after which he was taken to Lewisham Hospital.