Retrial date for teenager accused of Lindsay murder
JON MACPHERSON
THE retrial date for a teenager accused of murdering teaching assistant Lindsay Birbeck has been confirmed.
The August 3 hearing will be the first murder trial to take place at Preston Crown Court since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the presiding Judge Her Honour Mrs
Justice Yip has warned that ‘no-one can give a complete guarantee’ it will go ahead on that date, in the shadow of COVID19.
Lindsay, 47, was found at Accrington Cemetery on August 24 last year, 12 days after going missing from her home.
A trial began on February 25 before being halted on March 10 - before the coronavirus outbreak.
A jury of 11 women and one man were discharged from reaching their verdicts at Preston Crown Court by Judge Yip.
The ‘legal reasons’ for the jury being discharged cannot be given due to reporting restrictions in the case.
The youth, who also cannot be named for legal reasons, denies a single charge of murder.
The judge remanded the defendant into custody for a retrial which was due to start on June 15 at Preston Crown
Court. A mention and fix hearing was instead held with the defendant appearing at court via video link.
Judge Yip told the court: “We thought the trial could take place today but because of the coronavirus that is not possible. I have today been to see the trial court here at Preston.
“We are extremely limited in terms of space so long as the two-metre social distancing rule remains in place.”