The Lagoon Park murder trial was delayed for another three days yesterday after Puisne Justice Norma Wade Miller told the jury there would be an adjournment "for administrative reasons".

But The Royal Gazette understands that Sidney Pitt, who was found dead on New Year's morning on Market Lane, is the father of murder accused Terranz Sidney (Monster) Smith.

The normally animated Smith was subdued inside and outside court yesterday and was seen wearing dark glasses outside the building.

Smith, 35, Robert Blair Tucker, 36, and James Alan (Spooks) Dill, 55, are charged with the murder of mysterious American Edward Stanley Lee in the isolated Lagoon Park, Ireland Island South on July 28, 2001.

The men have been in custody since their arrests shortly after Smith alerted Police that a body could be found in the park.

The Crown alleges that Mr. Lee was killed after it was discovered that cocaine - for which he acted as facilitator during importation - was of low quality and the burly ex-con demanded the remaining drugs and all profits from sales.

Smith offered to show Police the body while in custody on an unrelated charge on August 12, 2001. By the time the first Police officers saw Mr. Lee, his six foot, four-inch, 240-pound body had become "skeletonised" as it decayed, sprawled face up on a bush.

The case is set to last throughout January and possibly into February as each man is defended by different lawyers in the complex case.

The trial began in November with a marathon session of 15 days of legal arguments and was adjourned from December 18 until yesterday for the Christmas holiday.

After legal arguments, Mrs. Justice Wade Miller called the ten-woman, two-man jury in and said: "Mr. Foreman and members of the jury, unfortunately we must adjourn for administrative reasons - we have had to put this matter off until Thursday."

Mrs. Justice Wade Miller added that she was mindful of the length of the trial and "barring no improbables" it would restart on that day.

She also explained that prosecutors, led by Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Kulandra Ratneser, and defence lawyers Ed Bailey for Smith, Liz Christopher for Dill and Larry Scott for Tucker, are "making accommodations" in speeding up the pace of the case.

She concluded: "Thank you for your accommodations, and we will see you on Thursday at 9.30 (a.m.)."