Jury sent home early after unexpected delay in Ibrahim Ali murder trial
CTV
The jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering a 13-year-old girl in Burnaby, B.C. in 2017 was sent home early for the second straight day Friday.
The jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering a 13-year-old girl in Burnaby, B.C. in 2017 was sent home early for the second straight day Friday.
Ibrahim Ali last month pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder of a teen girl who can not be named due to a publication ban.
On Thursday, jurors arrived at court expecting to hear the second day of cross-examination of Dr. Jason Morin, the forensic pathologist who conducted the girl's autopsy, however, they were sent home just minutes after entering the court room.
Justice Lance Bernard told them that Ali was “unwell” and that they could not proceed without him present.
On Friday, jurors were again sent him early – this time without ever entering the room.
Because all matters handled without the jury present in this trial are subject to a publication ban, CTV News can not say why jurors were dismissed.
When sending them away, Bernard also warned that the trial which was originally slated to run to the end of June, may now stretch into the fall.
