Liam Fee murder trial adjourned without verdict
The jury in the trial of a mother accused of murdering her two-year-old son with her partner has been sent home without returning a verdict after a juror felt unwell.
The jury in the trial of a mother accused of murdering her two-year-old son with her partner has been sent home without returning a verdict after a juror felt unwell.
Rachel Fee or Trelfa, 31, and her civil partner Nyomi Fee, 29, deny murdering toddler Liam Fee, who was found dead at a house near Glenrothes in Fife on March 22, 2014.
The couple say another young boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, was responsible for Liam's injuries.
The eight women and six men of the jury resumed their task at the High Court in Livingston on Monday morning after deliberating for about four hours on Friday. After considering the case for another four hours, judge Lord Burns sent them home after one juror reported that they were not feeling well. They are expected to return to court at 10am on Tuesday.
The judge has told them to "act impartially and dispassionately'' as they consider a ''highly emotional'' case.
Jurors have been told they can return verdicts of guilty, not guilty or not proven to the eight charges the women face - the latter two being verdicts of acquittal.
The judge also said they were under no pressure and could take as long as they need to reach a decision. Both accused, originally of Ryton, Tyne and Wear, also deny attempting to defeat the ends of justice by falsely incriminating another boy for Liam's death.
They further deny a catalogue of allegations of harming and neglecting two young boys, including the one they blame, over more than two years.