The family of murdered teacher Lauren Patterson may be one step closer to justice, as the retrial of a man convicted of killing her nears its end.

Badr Hashim Khamis Abdallah al-Jabr was found guilty of stabbing the 24-year-old in Qatar, where she was working as a primary school teacher.

He was sentenced to death in March 2015, but last February the country’s court of appeal ordered a re-trial.

Since then the hearing has been adjourned six times, due to issues including failures to locate witnesses or the defendant’s counsel, and on one occasion, technical problems with courtroom equipment.

But following the latest hearing, on Monday, the judge refused the defence’s evidence and fixed a date for the final submissions in the case.

Lauren’s mother, Alison, has flown out to the Gulf State for each hearing. Following the hearing she said: “I’m feeling a lot more positive and hopefully we area step closer for justice for Lauren.”

The closing arguments and summing up will take place on Sunday, February 26.

The burned remains of Miss Patterson, from Leybourne Chase in West Malling, were found in a pit in a remote part of the desert in 2013, with a knife still lodged in her ribcage.

A second man, Mohamed Abdallah Hassan Abdul Aziz, was convicted of helping to hide Miss Patterson’s body and interfering with evidence. He has already been released from prison.