The jury in the trial of a teenager accused of murdering a man with a homemade shotgun has been discharged.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied murdering Alan Garbutt but had accepted that he was holding the ‘slam-gun’ at the time when it went off and the pellets hit him in the chest.
The 62-year-old, from East Cleveland, died following the fatal shooting at Helmsley House, Guisborough, last summer.
Fire crews and ambulance crews also attended the block of flats from around 2.20am on August 8, where the body of Mr Garbutt was discovered.
A 43-year-old man and a 28-year-old man previously arrested on suspicion of murder were released with no further action taken.
Read more: 'More must be done about nitrous oxide': Outcry over drug litter putting kids at risk
Four days into the trial, High Court Judge Charles Bourne took the decision to discharge the jury and ordered a retrial.
The teenager’s case is to be listed at Teesside Crown Court next week when a new trial date is expected to be set.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article