THE trial of two men charged in connection with the death of a 24-year-old man in Caversham is finally set to get underway after three weeks of delays. 

O’Neal Joseph, 28, of Amersham Road in Caversham, was charged with the murder of Yannick Cupido after the latter was fatally stabbed on Valentine’s Day, 2021. 

Reece Weatherburn, 22, was charged with assisting an offender following Cupido’s death. 

READ MORE: Family pays tribute to Yannick Cupido

Both men deny the charges and the duo were due to stand trial on Monday, October 11 but legal arguments delayed the prosecution’s opening statement. 

Friday, October 15 was given as the trial’s new start date but by this point Weatherburn had tested positive for coronavirus and the trial was pushed back to Monday, October 25. 

Weatherburn was again absent from court this morning after his defence counsel, Nadia Chbat, told His Honour Judge Nawaz her client, who is not vaccinated against coronavirus, was still feeling unwell. 

It had been hoped a doctor could make a decision on whether Weatherburn was fit to attend court later in the morning but Ms Chbat told the court the earliest he could see a GP was tomorrow morning. 

READ MORE: Why Valentine's day murder trial did not go ahead as planned

Weatherburn, of Nire Road in Caversham, will be assessed at 9am tomorrow morning before it is judged whether he can stand trial.

If he is not fit enough to stand trial, Judge Nawaz agreed to a request from Joseph’s defence counsel, David Hislop, to split the defendants so only his client will stand trial. 

In his application, Hislop said it was unclear how long Weatherburn might be unwell for given he is not vaccinated and could suffer from long-Covid, and told the court if the trial does not go ahead in the coming weeks he will not be able to represent his client again until September 2022 due to other commitments. 

Prosecuting, Matthew Walsh told Judge Nawaz the Crown wished to try the defendants together. 

Judge Nawaz sided with Mr Hislop and told the court the prosecution will make their opening in the trial tomorrow either with Mr Weatherburn standing trial or without him. 

Cupido was fatally stabbed shortly before 1am on February 14 in Managua Close, Reading.

The young man was pronounced dead at the scene in Caversham.