Jury dismissed at Linda Britton court trial in Coffs Harbour

A mother was on trial for the alleged manslaughter of two women including her own daughter, but the actions of two jury members brought legal proceedings to a halt.

The jury in the double manslaughter trial of a mother charged with dangerous driving causing the death of her own daughter and another woman was dismissed on Thursday.

Judge Jonathan Priestley told the court two jury members had breached the clear directions given and repeated to the panel “every day”.

The trial of Linda Britton started at Coffs Harbour on November 29. The court heard from more than 20 witnesses.

Ms Britton, 54, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of manslaughter and two alternative charges of dangerous driving causing death after her daughter, Skye Luland, 24, and Kazzandra Widders, 20, were hit by a car at the Nambucca Plaza carpark on September 28, 2019. Both women died at the scene.

On Thursday Judge Priestly told the court a member of the jury came to him that morning with details about two other jurors.

Judge Priestly said the information was given with reluctance as the jury was “close, if not at the point of a decision”.

He said he accepted the juror’s evidence as “genuine” that another jury member had contacted an Aboriginal elder in Queensland and did a “google search” to find out more about bundi sticks.

The court had earlier heard that bundi sticks were used in the Nambucca Plaza carpark brawl leading up to the death of the two women.

A bundi stick is sometimes described as an Aboriginal digging stick as well as a throwing stick to bring down large animals.

Judge Priestley also told the court a second juror had looked up a news article about the incident which “put forward a possible assertion” that the accused partner David Luland was driving the car which allegedly ran over the two women at the Nambucca Plaza carpark.

The Nambucca Plaza.

The judge outlined the possibility of continuing with the remaining 10 jury members but ultimately ruled that out, particularly because it had been “ongoing for some time and only just brought to my attention today”.

“Because it’s been going on since week one – like a coronavirus – it might have spread through them all,” he added.

The jury was discharged and the matter was adjourned until Friday for mention.