Two brothers who are due to stand trial over the murder of Suel Delgado on Brighton seafront last year were told their court date cannot be guaranteed today.
Iftekhar Khondaker, 34, is accused of murdering Suel Delgado and attempting to murder Azaan Khan and Raja Khan who were struck by a BMW which ploughed into a crowd fighting on Marine Parade last December.
His brother Irfan Khondaker, 26, is accused of assisting him by calling a taxi to take him and his brother back to London.
Both deny the charges, and at the beginning of March, a trial date was fixed for 3 August.
Today, at a pre trial hearing at Lewes Crown Court, the brothers were told that although the trial is still scheduled for that date, it may well not happen then because jury trials are currently on hold because of the coronavirus lockdown.
Judge Christine Laing QC told them by a virtual link: “At present, the courts are not hearing jury trials.
“Until we are able to hear trials again and deal with the backlog of cases which should have been heard, I simply cannot guarantee a trial date, but we will be working towards hearing your trial on August 3.
“If things change you will be informed.”
Judge Laing and her clerk were in the courtroom, but lawyers appearing for the prosecution and defence – along with members of the press – attended virtually via video-confering software.
The pair were both living in Caithness Road, Mitcham before they were charged with murder in February. They appeared at Brighton Magistrates on February 28 and were both remanded into custody.
Suel Miguel Monteiro Delgado, 20, a promising footballer from Crawley, sadly died in hospital after suffering serious head injuries following a collision with the BMW X6 in Marine Parade at 5.20am on Sunday 1 December.
