![Bruce Coss was arrested after a renewed investigation in 2019. Picture supplied by NSW Police Bruce Coss was arrested after a renewed investigation in 2019. Picture supplied by NSW Police](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/3FRrb3AuBjKJGNhBeTSDxy/7e9d2fa7-cdd6-4537-b5d9-927459064967.png/r0_0_634_482_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
THE trial of a man accused of killing a Bingara associate has been put on hold, and won't resume for five months.
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In the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney on Thursday morning, Justice Hament Dhanji ordered Bruce Anthony Coss' trial be delayed until March next year.
Coss is accused of killing Darren Royce Willis in Bingara in 2010, and was near the end of his judge-alone murder trial in July when it was sensationally stopped after human remains were discovered.
The discovery of part of a skull in the 'Six Mile' area near Bingara was made by an elderly farmer and police believe it belongs to Mr Willis.
Earlier this month, the Leader revealed more skull fragments and clothing had been found in September outside Bingara by police, near where part of the skull had been initially found.
The court has previously heard DNA testing had indicated a "consistent" profile match with Mr Willis.
The trial was put on hold to allow police extra time to investigate, and on Thursday morning, Crown prosecutor Liam Shaw told the court the Crown would need three days to hear the new evidence when the trial resumes.
The new evidence also had to be tested for DNA.
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Defence barrister Michael King said he had engaged two new experts but were "still waiting on the Crown's forensic pathologist report".
The court was told earlier this month that a forensic anthropologist had been obtained to provide the Crown with an expert opinion on the damage to the skull and the time it was in the bush.
Mr King said he wanted to push on with resuming the trial in late-November because he was "particularly mindful of the alternative" of a lengthy delay.
![Darren Royce Willis was allegedly murdered in Bingara in 2010. Picture supplied Darren Royce Willis was allegedly murdered in Bingara in 2010. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/3FRrb3AuBjKJGNhBeTSDxy/53191dda-d844-4468-9101-c50c16eec1ee.jpg/r0_0_1205_677_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He said "we are doing everything we can to achieve that outcome".
He said if the trial was to resume in March next year "it would be going for 11 months".
But Justice Dhanji said the court did not have enough time to hear all the new evidence in the trial in November, and vacating the date this year was a "regrettable" course of action.
"I'm inclined to vacate the present date and relist the matter," he said.
The court heard the estimate was two weeks and it would resume in March 2023.
"Mr Coss is on bail, that will continue," Justice Dhanji said.
Coss, who has pleaded not guilty to murder, remains on bail to live on the coast, away from Bingara. He was arrested after a renewed investigation in 2019.
Earlier this month, the court was told the Crown prosecutor and defence barrister would go and view the scene as part of their preparations in the trial.
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