A jury in the trial of a former South Cumbrian junior football coach who stands accused of sexually abusing a young player around four decades ago has been discharged by a judge.
Anthony John Pickering, 61, faces four charges. Two allege that Pickering attempted to carry out serious sexual acts on a boy, while two allege indecent assault and relate to the same complainant.
All four arise out of incidents which are alleged to have occurred around the turn of the 1980s, at a time when Pickering was involved in a football club and the complainant was a young player of primary school age.
Pickering, formerly of Claife Avenue, Windermere, has pleaded not guilty to each of the allegations and, on Monday, a trial in front of a jury began at Carlisle Crown Court.
But today, the jury of seven men and five women was discharged by Judge Richard Archer from reaching verdicts in the case for legal reasons.
Reporting restrictions imposed by the trial judge prohibit the precise reasons for the jury discharge being made public.
A new trial has been provisionally fixed and is due to start at the crown court on April 3.
In the meantime, Pickering has been remanded in custody.
