The jury in the case of a man charged with the murders of two individuals in London, whose remains were later discarded in suitcases in Bristol, has been released from duty.

Yostin Andres Mosquera, 35, pleads not guilty to the murders of Albert Afonso, aged 62, and Paul Longworth, aged 71, allegedly committed on or before 11 July 2024, and was being tried at the Old Bailey in London.

Body parts were located in Shepherd’s Bush, with additional remains found in a suitcase and trunk abandoned near the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

The prosecution commenced its case on 30 April, but trial judge Mr. Justice Bennathan decided to discharge the jury prior to its conclusion.

Justice Bennathan indicated that there were issues with accurately pinpointing the times of searches conducted by Mosquera on his laptop, which had been presented as evidence in the trial.

He informed the jurors that the trial “simply cannot proceed”.

“We must resolve this issue to ensure a fair trial,” he remarked.

The judge expressed gratitude to the jurors for their service and conveyed his regret regarding the current state of the trial.

While Mosquera has accepted responsibility for the manslaughter of Mr. Alfonso due to loss of self-control, he refutes both murder charges.

A pre-trial review hearing for Mr. Mosquera is scheduled for 13 June at the Old Bailey, with a provisional retrial date set for 30 June at Woolwich Crown Court.