Rape trial delayed for nearly a year after court is told no barristers in the country are available
A Shropshire court has been forced to delay the trial of a man accused of rape for nearly a year after being told there was no barrister available in the country to prosecute the case.
The trial of Niumsia Bale-Nailati, 43, of Brockley Road, Hadley, Telford, who denies one charge of rape, was due to open at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Tuesday, but it has now been rescheduled for December 2.
It came after Mr James Dunston, prosecuting, told the court there was "no-one available across the entire country to conduct this prosecution".
Addressing the court he added: "There do not seem to be enough barristers to carry out the work."
Mr Dunston applied for the case to be taken out of the court's list, to be re-listed at a later date.
Judge Recorder Christopher Millington accepted the application and the trial has now been listed to start on December 2.
Addressing the defendant, Judge Millington said: "We have not, I am afraid, been able to start the trial you have been waiting for, for the reasons you have heard explained in court.
"For those reasons I am going to adjourn the trial, which will now take place at Shrewsbury Crown Court on December 2."
