October 19th 2023.
The trial of six men facing charges of murdering Ian Staves was halted due to an unexpected delay caused by a flea infestation in the court building in Hull. The jury was discharged and the trial is now set to start again on April 22, 2024.
The court building had to be closed for a week in order for pest controllers to get rid of the fleas, which had taken over the premises. Concerns from defense lawyers, as well as availability issues raised by jurors, were taken into consideration by Judge Thackray KC, leading to the jury's discharge.
The trial is expected to last seven to eight weeks and will involve the prosecution alleging that Mr Staves was strangled by men who were planning to steal drugs from him. It was reported that police had been investigating him since half a kilogram of cocaine and a cannabis grow setup were found in his home six months prior to his death.
Pest expert Chris Welham of Elite Pest Control suggested to the Mail Online that the high number of people visiting Hull Crown Court daily made it very difficult to control flea infestations. He explained that the process of fumigation involves filling up every room and corridor with smoke or fog mixed with poison to settle and kill the fleas.
It's an alarming situation to have a court building infested with fleas, as it could potentially have disrupted the trial and caused further delays. Fortunately, the court building was successfully fumigated and the trial will continue next year.
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