High Court designates mother, daughter beheading case a priority

A judge has designated the case involving five men charged with the 2011 beheading of a woman and her daughter as a priority for the Home Circuit Court. 

Justice Lloyd Hibbert made the declaration this morning even as he was forced to push back the case to November 23, when the accused killers are expected to stand trial. 

The trial was expected to get underway today but the lack of witnesses continued to affect the matter.

Most of the witnesses are police personnel but many are failing to turn up for the scheduled court dates. 

Meanwhile, the prosecution has indicated that it will be applying to the court under the Evidence Act to have a statement admitted into evidence. 

That statement was given by a civilian who has not been turning up for court. 

In the meantime, all five accused, Adrian Campbell, Fabian Smith, Kemar Riley, Rushane Goldson and Sanjay Ducally, remain locked up. 

It's alleged that 19-year-old Joeith Lynch and her 49-year-old mother, Charmaine Cover-Rattray, were asleep at their Lauriston home on July 20, 2011 when men kicked off their door, and entered.

The men allegedly murdered the woman and her daughter, cut off their heads and dumped them some distance away from the murder scene.