Jury spends third day deliberating whether Wisbech murder suspect David Newton is guilty of murdering Una Crown

The jury has spent a third day deliberating whether a 70-year-old murder suspect is guilty of killing his elderly widowed neighbour Una Crown.

David Newton, of Magazine Close in Wisbech, denies killing Una Crown, 86, back in 2013 when she lived around the corner from him on Magazine Lane.

The jury was sent out on Thursday morning to deliberate if Newton is guilty or innocent of murdering Mrs Crown.

They have now spent a total of three days deliberating, but have not yet come to a decision.

Judge Justice Garnham told jurors today that he would accept a 10-2 majority verdict.

The trial, which is entering its fifth week, has heard evidence from prosecutor John Price KC that Newton’s DNA had been found on a fingernail clipping taken from Mrs Crown.

Mrs Crown was stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest before her body was set on fire.

The 12 members of the jury came back into court this afternoon, when a foreman said, on the group’s behalf, that they have yet to agree on a verdict.

They have now left court for the day and will resume deliberating tomorrow morning.

Mrs Crown, a retired postmistress, was found dead by her nephew on January 13, 2013.

Newton had previously been arrested twice in 2013 on suspicion of Mrs Crown’s murder but was released without charge.

His defence, Henry Grunwald KC, gave no evidence on Newton’s behalf, but did take the opportunity to slam police officers, who did not treat Mrs Crown’s death as a murder from the get-go.

When police officers first arrived at the scene, they initially treated Mrs Crown’s death as not suspicious.

Not up to date with what’s been said in court? Click the following links to find previous coverage of days one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve and thirteen.

The trial continues.