THE Denholme murder trial has been postponed until next week due to the continued absence of one of the jurors.

The trial’s proceedings were called off for a second successive day this morning due to the absence of one of the 12 jurors because of a family illness. Initially the trial had been halted due to another jury member being taken ill.

Mr Justice Goss, speaking to the court via Simon Clegg, prosecuting, said the juror is confident maters will be resolved and arrangements will be put in place for next week.

Read the last live blog from the Denholme murder trial here

The judge added: “We are not going to sit in this case today or tomorrow and we will resume next Tuesday.

“It is much more important to preserve the jury as a 12.”

Mr Justice Goss will resume, and conclude his summing up of the case next Tuesday from 10.30am when the jury will retire to consider their verdicts.

The trial cannot continue without all 12 members of the jury present.

Mr Justice Goss added he was 'reasonably hopeful and confident' that both jurors will be back for tomorrow morning at 10.30am when the judge is expected to continue with his summing up of the case before the jury retire to consider their verdicts.

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Mohammed Feazan Ayaz, 20, of Duckworth Grove, Manningham, Bradford, died from a traumatic head injury after he was stripped naked, punched, slapped and kicked at unit 2 of Denholme Business Centre on June 30 and July 1 last year.

On trial denying murder are: Raheel Khan, 27, of no fixed address; Suleman Khan, 20, of Sandford Road, Bradford Moor; Robert Wainwright, 26, Mannville Terrace, Bradford city centre; Junaid Hussain, 28, of Silverhill Road, Bradford Moor and Stephen Queeney, 34, of Junction Row, Bolton Road.

Raheel Khan has admitted the manslaughter of Mr Ayaz.

Shaoib Shafiq, 20, of Gladstone Street, Bradford Moor, and a 17-year-old Bradford youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons because of his age, plead not guilty to assisting an offender.

The trial continues.