Third jury hears murder case

A new jury, the third appointed in eight days to deal with the case, yesterday began hearing evidence at the Crown Court in Belfast…

A new jury, the third appointed in eight days to deal with the case, yesterday began hearing evidence at the Crown Court in Belfast in the trial of two young Belfast men accused of the murder of a retired schoolteacher more than three years ago.

The first jury was discharged for legal reasons last week and on Tuesday a second jury was also discharged. Mr Adrian Wilson (20), from Cavehill Road, and Mr Colin King (19), of Newington Avenue, deny the murder of 83-year-old Mrs Bessie Robson.

The widow's badly burned body was found by firemen on December 29th, 1994, after neighbours spotted a fire at her Bellevue Park home in North Belfast.

The prosecution claims the defendants, then aged 17 and 16, had deliberately set fire to her body and the bedroom to cover their tracks after beating and stabbing her.

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The trial continues today.