Three men accused of murdering Adrian Keise near Waterloo station are in custody after a jury error during the verdict. Confusion arose when the forewoman initially stated that they were not guilty but later admitted that no verdict had been reached. The accused remain in custody after the error was made, and their defence barrister is concerned about their illegal detention. The trial was set to conclude on Wednesday but the jury was unable to reach a verdict.
The prosecution has seven days to decide whether to seek a retrial for the case. The family of the victim, 32-year-old Mr Keise, left court distraught. Brothers Paul and Matthew Yusuff and friend Moussa Traore are charged with murder. The jury of 11 men and women deliberated for more than 10 hours before being called for what was expected to be a majority verdict.
The forewoman was twice questioned by the court and initially stated that the defendants were not guilty. Soon after the jury was discharged, a note revealed the mistake. The jurors returned to the court, but after 12 hours of deliberation, they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
Although they reached a unanimous verdict that Paul Yusuff was not guilty of possessing a blade or point, the jury failed to agree on verdicts for murder and manslaughter. The defendants, from south London, deny all charges against them, and their defence barrister expressed concerns that his clients could be being detained illegally
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