A Victorian man accused of brutally beating his 77-year-old neighbour to death will face a fresh trial after a jury was unable to reach a verdict.
Handyman Stuart Paul Anderson faced a Supreme Court trial, where he was accused of murder following the death of his neighbour, Vicki Ramadan, at her home in Melbourne’s northwest in March 2019.
Anderson said he found her body at her Sydenham home on April 6, 2019, and pleaded not guilty to her murder.
During the two-week trial prosecutors alleged Anderson killed Ms Ramadan between March 23 and 25, 2019.
Anderson first met Ms Ramadan when she knocked on his door to help her with some odd jobs, the court heard previously.
He denied any involvement in her death and his barrister Glenn Casement said identity was an issue.
After one week of deliberations, jurors told the court they could not reach a verdict on Tuesday 18 October.
The jury was discharged and a new trial will be listed for a later date.
– AAP
