TWO men guilty of a 'nasty' Worcester attack must wait to learn their fate after the case was delayed due to lack of court time.

Brennan Kilner and Mohammed Raja were scheduled to be sentenced last Friday for assault occasioning actual bodily harm following an attack on Kester Jardine in Worcester.

Kilner, aged 22, of Sidbury, Worcester and Raja, 21, of Avon Road, Tolladine,Worcester were due to appear again at Worcester Crown Court today (Wednesday) for sentence but again the case was delayed. This time the case was removed from the list administratively ahead of the hearing. The assault happened at Black Horse Walk in Worcester on March 26 last year.

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However, the two men remain in a warned list which means it is likely the case will be dealt with very soon. The courts have to be cleaned between cases due to the Covid-19 pandemic which has created delay as judges work their way through a large backlog of cases. Court staff also have the added complication of managing jury trials which involve the use of screens to reduce the risk of transmission and other precautions to keep jurors and court staff safe.

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On Friday the prosecutor in the case, Jennifer Josephs, said it was 'late' for her to open the case and for the court to sit and sentence the men, asking that the case be adjourned.

The case was called on at after 5pm, well after the court normally sits. Judge Nicolas Cartwright, who had a busy list, agreed and said: "It's very close to 25 to 6 on Friday which isn't the appropriate time to embark on what is going to be a reasonably lengthy sentencing exercise."

He added: "I'm sorry they have been waiting this afternoon for the case to be called on only for it to be adjourned."