THE JURY in a major Bradford murder trial have been sent out to reach a verdict.

Mohammed Taroos Khan, 52, of Thornbury Road, Bradford, faces a charge of murder after the body of his niece Somaiya Begum, 20, of Binnie Street, Barkerend, Bradford was found on July 6 last year.

The 52-year-old denies unlawfully killing Miss Begum on, or around, June 25 last year but has admitted to disposing of her body.

The trial was expected to last three-and-a-half weeks but the jury retired to deliberate at around 2.45pm this afternoon, just eight days into the case.

Throughout the trial, the jurors have seen CCTV footage of Khan visiting Miss Begum's home - where she lived with her grandma and another uncle - several times on June 25.

They also watched the moment the prosecution say is when Khan dumped his niece's body, rolled up in a rug tied with blue string, on wasteland off Fitzwilliam Street on June 26.

The Honourable Justice Neil Garnham summed up the trial on Thursday, before sending the jury away to make a decision.

He said: "The purpose of this summing up is to remind you as neutrally as I can of the evidence we've heard."

But he reiterated that they must determine what they regard as important matters and details in the case.

The jury were deliberating for around an hour-and-a-half before they were released for the day, with a verdict yet to be reached.

The trial continues.