Reliance tea break holds up murder trial by 45 minutes

A High Court murder trial was held up for almost an hour yesterday after staff from court security company Reliance went on a tea break.

Presiding High Court Judge Lady Stacey called for an investigation into the incident, after the trial at the High Court in Perth was unable to resume as scheduled after lunch at 2pm.

A senior member of Reliance staff was brought to explain to Lady Stacey that there were not enough staff to place two in the dock as escort for murder accused Yahya Babiker.

After a 45-minute delay the jury returned and were then shown graphic pictures of the head wounds sustained by mother-of-two Randa Kamblawi, 34, whose husband is accused of murdering her with a claw hammer at her home in the city's Nicolson Street.

Consultant forensic pathologist Ralph Bouhaidar told the court the body of Mrs Kamblawi, had massive injuries to the head.

Mr Bouhaidar said: "There was evidence of blunt force head injury."

Babiker, 45, a prisoner at HMP Edinburgh, has denied all the charges against him.

The trial, before Lady Stacey, continues.