Murder trial will restart on Monday

Josh Hirst was found fatally stabbed in Hepworth Lane on August 3 last year – just yards from his home in Grove Street.

Joe Church, Aaron Smith and Nadeem Rashid were all to be tried for murder and a jury was sworn in at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday.

But today (Friday) one of the jurors had to be dropped from the case. The Recorder of Leeds Judge Peter Collier QC, then discharged the whole jury and the case will restart on Monday.

Church, Smith and Rashid will also face individual charges of possessing an offensive weapon.

Police launched a murder inquiry after Mr Hirst was found with stab wounds late on a Friday night in August.

He was taken to Dewsbury and District Hospital at around 11pm but died shortly after.

Friends of Mr Hirst laid dozens of bunches of flowers at the scene where was killed in the days after his death while police traced his alleged killers.

Church, 21, and Smith, 19, were charged with murder on the Tuesday after Mr Hirst died and made their first appearance at Huddersfield Magistrates Court that day.

On the Thursday, Rashid, 21, was charged with murder too, and after appearing before magistrates later that day, his case was sent to Leeds Crown Court with that of his co-accused.

In the meantime, friends and family of Mr Hirst set about coming to terms with their loss.

A book of remembrance was opened at St Mary’s church in Mirfield for local people to write their own tributes to the former Castle Hall School pupil.

On August 31, the inquest into Mr Hirst’s death was opened at Bradford Coroner’s Court, only to be adjourned after his body was released so that his funeral could go ahead.

After the funeral, loved ones got together again at St Mary’s in September, lighting more than 50 lanterns in Mr Hirst’s memory and setting them free to light up the Mirfield skyline.

Then on November 23, Church, of Redlands Close, Mirfield, and Rashid, of Lapwing View, Horbury, appeared at Leeds Crown court to enter their not guilty pleas to the charges they will be tried on.

Smith, of Saville Street, Emley, did the same a week later and the case was adjourned.

Keep checking our websites for the latest updates from the trial.