Spector's trial for murder collapses

After five months of trial testimony and more than 43 hours of jury deliberations, the Phil Spector murder trial ended yesterday as the jury deadlocked for the second time in a week and the judge declared a mistrial.

The legendary record producer is now likely to have to go through the whole circus again, as the Los Angeles district attorney announced his intention to stage a second trial. He still hopes to convince a jury that Spector was responsible for the death of a struggling actress Lana Clarkson. She was found with a bullet in her head in the foyer of his fake Pyrenean chateau in 2003.

At a hearing on 3 October the district attorney will also consider charging him with lesser crimes. Judge Larry Fidler asked each juror if there was any hope of reaching a verdict and each of them replied: "No." they told the court they were split 10 votes to 2, but did not say which way they were leaning. Last week, when they first deadlocked, they were split 7 to 5.