THE jury in the body-in-a-suitcase murder of teenager Terry Edmonds has been discharged after failing to reach a verdict.

Following a week-long break from deliberations, a note was sent to the judge on Monday informing him that an impasse had been reached in returning either a unanimous or majority verdict on Philip Bell.

Judge Paul Worsley, QC, then directed them to retire again, telling them they had taken an oath to return a true verdict according to the evidence.

"Your task is to pool experience and wisdom," he said. "But if 10 of you cannot reach agreement, you must say so."

The eight women and three men, one woman having been discharged, returned later in the afternoon and again declared that they were at an impasse and there was no reasonable prospect of of reaching a verdict.

They were then discharged and a retrial was ordered.

The judge said the earliest date at Maidstone Crown Court was January 14 next year, but added: "That is undesirable for all sorts of reasons. The pressure on everyone is considerable. If it is possible for another date to be found before then, counsel will be told."

The jury had been out for a total of 22 hours 29 minutes at the end of a four-week trial..

Homeless Bell, 22, denied murdering 17-year-old Terry at a car park, where he lived rough, next to Tunbridge Wells railway station and hiding her body in a suitcase on April 17 last year. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Terry, who lived at nearby Calverley Hill hostel, disappeared after she was filmed on CCTV at the station at 6.23pm.

The suitcase containing the body was later found hidden under a ramp at the car park.

Judge Worsley said Bell would remain in custody but he would grant leave for a bail application to be made, should it be pursued.

Terry's mother, from Hadlow, near Tonbridge, left court in tears.