The delay of a murder trial frustrated Crown counsel Vinette Graham-Allen yesterday as one of the accused has hired yet another lawyer to represent him - his sixth since he was charged with the crime.

This went on during an otherwise routine arraignment session in Supreme Court before Chief Justice Austin Ward.

The trial of Terranz Sidney (Monster) Smith, 33, of Somerset Road, Sandys, Robert Blair Tucker, 33, of Astwood Close, Pembroke and James Alan (Spooks) Dill, 54, of no fixed abode was set to begin next Monday, but was postponed after the court heard that Dill had retained lawyer Ed Bailey over the weekend.

"Please advise him that he must have representation," Mrs. Graham-Allen asked Mr. Ward.

Noting that the men had been arraigned for some time, Mr. Ward agreed with her and said: "We must move on."

The three are accused of murdering American visitor Stanley Lee, 41, also known as Sean (Sha) Russells.

The man's badly decomposed body was discovered in Lagoon Park in Dockyard on August 9 last year. He was reportedly stabbed to death on or around July 28, 2001.

And Dill's lawyer, Elizabeth Christopher expressed her concern that Mark Pettingill, who is representing Tucker, may have a conflict of interest as on one occasion he had advised one of the Crown's prosecution witnesses, a charge to which Mr. Pettingill repsonded: "On the basis of instruction there is no conflict."

However, Mr. Justice Ward told Ms Christopher that issues such as this should be solved within the doors of the Bermuda Bar Association, not in court.

The three were further remanded in custody and will appear for mention on October 1.

Reuben Nakima Roberts, 26, will learn his fate on September 9, after he pleaded guilty to importing cannabis on April 25, 2000. He was remanded in custody.

In other matters, four men had trial dates set, while two others are awaiting dates for retrial.

Quincy Stanley Brangman, 23, and Everett Jahni Bean, 19, will stand trial on January 13, 2003, for the murder of Tekle Mallory, who was found dead in a pool of his own blood in the parking lot of the Ice Queen in Paget on July 21 last year. Both were further remanded in custody.

Delmon Roy Talbot and Frank Ernest Matthie will have their Supreme Court trial begin on Monday. Both have pleaded not guilty to causing unlawful grievous bodily harm. Both had their bail extended.

Keniel Alfred Ingham, 30, will return to next month's arraignment session to learn when he will be retried for the manslaughter of Jermaine (Red) Pitcher who died on February 27, 2000 after he was stabbed outside the Champions Sports Bar on Reid Street. He remains free on bail.

And Elizabeth Christopher, lawyer for Dutch national Eddy Franklyn Filiciana, 43, asked for as early a date as possible when her client can be retried for importing cocaine. Last month, a jury could not reach a decision on the matter. He was remanded into custody.

Accused drug mules Ashley Williams Dickens and Latoya Hunt, both 24, had a tentative date of December 16 set aside for their trial to begin. The two are accused of conspiring to import cocaine and possession with intent to supply on May 2 this year.