THE TRIAL of two men charged in connection with the killing of Yannick Cupido has been delayed yet again.
O'Neal Joseph, 28, of Amersham Road, Caversham was accused of murdering Cupido in Caversham on February 14, 2021.
Reece Weatherburn, 22, of Nire Road, Caversham, was charged with assisting an offender. Both men deny the charges.
The latter did not appear at court on Monday (October 18) after he tested positive for coronavirus.
READ MORE: Family pays tribute to Yannick Cupido
This means the prosecution will not be able to make their opening statement until Monday, October 25.
The trial was meant to get underway on Monday, October 11 but was adjourned to Friday, October 15 so lawyers could thrash out legal arguments.
On Friday, it was revealed Weatherburn was feeling unwell and had a lateral flow test had come back as testing positive for a coronavirus.
The trial was pushed back to Monday, October 18, when it was revealed Weatherburn's PCR test had also come back positive.
Nadia Chbat, Weatherburn's defence counsel, said her client would be self-isolating for ten days from Thursday, October 14, when he first developed symptoms.
READ MORE: Valentine's Day trial on hold as accused did not feel well
However, Ms Chbat expressed concerns Weatherburn may not be able to return to court for next week, saying the "unvaccinated" 22-year-old was "very unwell."
Prosecutor Matthew Walsh discussed the possibility of holding two trials rather than one in order to try Joseph at Reading Crown Court first, but said this was not the prosecution's preferred option.
His Honour Judge Nawaz agreed, telling the court it was "not possible to do anything else at the moment."
He added: "There is scope for separate trials but if it is possible for them to be kept together, that would be for the best."
The trial is set to resume on Monday, October 25.
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.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here