THE jury in the trial of two people accused of murdering a father has this morning been discharged.
Judge James Goss, sitting at Newcastle Crown Court, was informed that one of the jurors selected yesterday when the case against Kieran Adey and Zoe Warren, both 19, was opened was unable to sit for the expected duration of the trial.
They both deny murdering 29-year-old Mark Shaw at his home in Pine Street, Grange Villa, near Chester-le-Street, last December.
A new jury is to be selected this morning and the trial, which could run to three weeks, is set to start again.
Adey is from Queen Street, Grange Villa, and Warren, from Hexham, Washington. Both deny one charge of murder.
Warren also denies a charge of witness intimidation.
Mr Shaw was found dead in his house on December 17, 2016, having subjected to a prolonged beating, a post mortem revealed.
He died from a single stab wound.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article