A Brighton murder trial has been halted and the jury discharged after one of the barristers applied to withdraw.
The case against Francesco D’Agostino, 44, and Giuseppe Petriccione, 45, both of Stafford Road, Brighton, was brought to a halt this morning (Tuesday 17 March).
Both men deny murdering Serxhio Marku, 21, an Albanian man, who was living in Buckingham Place, Brighton.
Marku died in the early hours of Wednesday 11 September last year having been attacked at the Stafford Road flat where the two Italian kitchen workers were living.
They were being tried at Lewes Crown Court before the resident judge, Judge Christine Laing, the honorary recorder of Brighton and Hove.
The case started on Monday last week (9 March), with Alan Kent QC opening the prosecution case the next day. The junior prosecution counsel was Siobhan Molloy.
The application to withdraw was made by counsel for Petriccione who was represented by John Price QC and Nicholas Hamblin.
D’Agostino was represented by Justin Rouse QC and Brian Stork.
The application to withdraw was granted and the two defendants are now due to go on trial on Tuesday 21 September.
The case is expected to last between three and five weeks.
In the meantime they have been remanded in custody.
