Couple face retrial on child murder charge

A couple accused of starving a seven-year-old girl to death are to face a retrial after the jury trying them was discharged today.

Mr Justice Roderick Evans halted the trial of Angela Gordon and Junaid Abuhamza after being required to discharge three members of the Birmingham Crown Court jury due to illness and other personal circumstances.

The defendants, of Leyton Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, both deny the murder of Khyra Ishaq and are now likely to be retried next year.

The jury, which had heard 12 days of evidence, expected to hear the start of the defence case today, but was instead discharged and told that a retrial would take place at a later date.

Gordon, 34, and 30-year-old Abuhamza are alleged to have murdered Khyra on May 17 last year.

Abuhamza pleaded guilty at the start of the trial to cruelty charges relating to five children in his care and control.

Gordon, Khyra's mother, denies the charges of child cruelty, which are alleged to have been committed between December 2007 and May 17, 2008.