Trial delayed
A Newcastle Supreme Court trial dealing with the death of Glen Innes greengrocer Adrian Trevett was delayed yesterday.
A summary of Matthew Aquilina’s defence will be delivered on Monday.
Aquilina is on trial for the death of Mr Trevett who was strangled in an old butter factory at Red Range, near Glen Innes, in September 2010.
Aquilina had pleaded not guilty to murder, but guilty to manslaughter citing provocation as his defence.
The case was adjourned yesterday morning after the jury was told it could not go ahead because one of the jury was unable to attend the proceedings.
Yesterday Senior Crown Prosecutor Peter Barnett summed up his evidence in the case of Aquilina as well as the trial of his mother, Karen Dawson.
The trial has been under way since late August.
Defence barrister Caroline Davenport also summed up the defence case for Dawson who has pleaded not guilty to Mr Trevett’s murder.
Mr Aquilina’s defence summation is expected to begin early on Monday morning before Judge Geoff Bellew delivers his instructions to the jury.
Members of Mr Trevett’s family have attended the court proceedings, including his brother who had launched a public appeal for information into Mr Trevett’s whereabouts when he was reported missing in October 2010.
Mr Trevett’s body was found in bushland near Tenterfield in January last year.
The court heard on Wednesday that the rope used to strangle Mr Trevett was still wrapped around his neck when his body was found.