The trial of a man accused of murdering a 13-year-old girl found dead in a Burnaby park six years ago could last past September, according to the judge presiding over the case.
Ibrahim Ali is on trial in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver; he has pleaded not guilty.
The jury in the case had originally been told the trial would run until June 30, but Justice Lance Bernard told jurors Wednesday it could now go past September.
Bernard said June 30 had been a "best estimate" and "a generous one" of when the trial would wrap up.
"It will be evident to you by now that a significant amount of regular court sitting hours has been taken up in matters that had to be dealt with in your absence because they were irrelevant to you role as jurors. These matters were not known or reasonably foreseeable to the court at the time trial dates were set."
Bernard said there are still several such matters outstanding that could take days of court time and cause further delays.
Other issues may arise "without warning" and take up more time, he said.
Bernard told jurors he wasn't in a position to give an accurate estimate about when the trial will end but said it was unlikely to conclude until "sometime in the fall."
"That is September or later, perhaps much later," he said.
Bernard asked jurors to go home and think about the new information and what it means to them, and notify him if it will create a significant problem for their ability to serve till the end of the trial.
He thanked the jurors for their dedication to the trial so far.
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