A judge has sent jurors in a murder trial home for the day after one of the alleged killers tested positive for coronavirus. 

Prosecutors allege that Nathan Braim, 20, of Broadwaters Avenue, Thame, and Benjamin Eyles, 19, of Monks Hollow, Buckinghamshire, killed Joshua Harling on the night of July 22 – which they both deny.

Today at Oxford Crown Court Judge Ian Pringle QC told jurors for their trial: "Members of the jury at 8am this morning I was informed that the first defendant had tested positive for Covid."

He said he had 'obviously' been told to self-isolate and is now doing so and that the case could continue because the prison will set up a video link.

But, he added that there was a 'twist', saying that the second defendant, Eyles, had sat with him in the dock. 

Despite sitting 2m apart for most of the trail so far, the pair have had to sit closer together when a witness takes to the stand behind a curtain. Eyles will now have to go into 10 days of self-isolation. 

The trial will continue as normal with both defendants appearing over video link tomorrow at 10.30am. 

The 12 jurors, made up of six men and six women, were sent home for the day and the judge said that deep cleaning of the dock would commence.