Jury discharged in So Solid Crew singer's trial

LONDON, Apr 13 (Reuters) The judge presiding over the murder trial of So Solid Crew frontman Megaman discharged the jury today after new material emerged in the case.

Dwayne Vincent, 26, aka Megaman, who was the band's lead singer, is accused of ordering his friend Colin Morgan to shoot dead Colin Scarlett, 24, in November 2004.

Scarlett was blasted three times in the chest, neck and hand and died from his injuries.

Morgan, a producer with So Solid Crew, was convicted of murder at a previous trial last October but the jury could not reach a verdict in Vincent's case and a retrial was ordered.

However today after weeks of evidence, Judge Martin Stephens discharged the London Old Bailey jury from returning verdicts and ordered another retrial.

He said that fresh information had come to light which needed to be investigated.

''I'm going to have to discharge you from giving a verdict,'' he told the jury. ''I'm deeply personally sorry to have to deprive you of reaching a verdict in this case.'' So Solid Crew, who have about 30 members, have been dogged by controversy since rising to fame with their hit ''21 Seconds'' three years ago.

Reuters SHB BST1837