The jury in the trial of Ms Tracie Andrews, the woman accused of the brutal roadside murder of her fiance, was yesterday sent to a hotel for the night after deliberating for more than four hours. The prosecution, at Birmingham Crown Court, alleges Ms Andrews (28) stabbed Mr Lee Harvey (25) more than 30 times during a row in a country lane near their home in Alvechurch, Worcestershire, last December.
The former model, who denies murder, claims Harvey was killed by a passenger of a Ford Sierra after a "road rage" car chase.
The jury of nine women and three men were asked to retire to consider their verdict after Mr Justice Buckley spent almost three hours summing up the case. On the 19th day of Ms Andrews's trial, the judge told the jury to ignore the publicity the case had attracted when deciding its verdict.
But he said the prosecution submitted that the "defendant's account of another car and its passenger" was clearly disproved, adding that the Crown also alleged there was "no other sensible explanation" for Mr Harvey's death and Ms Andrews must be his killer.
Reminding the jury that the burden of proof lay with the prosecution, the judge added: "You may feel that's what this case really is about - consideration of all the circumstances to see if the defendant's account could stand up."
The jurors were also given a direction to consider the issue of provocation - if they were sure Ms Andrews killed Mr Harvey.
The jury will resume its deliberations at 10 a.m. today. - (PA)