Two in court over leaked footage of Emiliano Sala's dead body

The image allegedly showed the remains of footballer Emiliano Sala at the Holly Tree Lodge mortuary in Bournemouth. (Picture: PA)

Two people have appeared in court charged with accessing CCTV footage of footballer Emiliano Sala’s post-mortem examination.

Mr Sala, 28, had just signed for Cardiff City when the plane he was travelling in crashed into the English Channel, north of Guernsey, on January 21.

His body was recovered on February 6 and a post-mortem examination took place at Bournemouth Mortuary the following day.

Wiltshire Police later confirmed they were investigating an image on social media that showed what appeared to be Sala's remains during the examination.

Christopher Ashford, 62, leaves Swindon Magistrates' Court where he and Sherry Bray, 48, were summonsed to appear. (PA)

On Wednesday, Sherry Bray, 48, and Christopher Ashford, 62, appeared before Swindon Magistrates' Court charged in connection with the force's investigation.

Ashford, of Calne, faces six charges of causing a computer to perform a function to secure "unauthorised access" to a program or data

Emiliano Sala was killed in a plane crash. (AFP/Getty Images)

Charges allege he "operated the closed circuit television equipment at the Bournemouth Mortuary and thereby caused the post-mortem of Emiliano Sala to be replayed by using the play-back facility".

He is alleged to have done so on February 9, 10 and 11 at 1.26am and 9.35pm.

Sherry Bray, 48, and Christopher Ashford, 62, leave Swindon Magistrates' Court. (PA)

Bray, of Corsham, is charged with three counts of causing a computer to perform a function to secure "unauthorised access" to a program or data.

Charges allege she "operated the closed circuit television equipment at the Bournemouth Mortuary and thereby caused the post-mortem of Emiliano Sala to be recorded by using the live view camera facility" on February 7.

She is also charged with sending the offensive message of Sala, causing the post-mortem examination footage to be replayed and perverting the course of jusctice.

Two appeared at Swindon Magistrates' Court (Google Maps)

It is alleged she told Ashford to "delete your pics" on February 12 as well as deleting the post-mortem cameras at the Bournemouth Mortuary from the live feed camera facility the following day.

Charges allege Bray also used the CCTV equipment to play the post-mortem examination of another man, Andrew Victor Latcham, on April 24 last year.

Neither Ashford or Bray entered pleas in relation to the charges against them.

Dr David Whetham, chair of the bench, adjourned the case for a hearing at Swindon Crown Court on August 9.

"You are going to be released on unconditional bail until that point," he told the defendants.