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Family photo
Chloe Mitchell's remains were found eight days after she went missing in 2023
The sister of Ballymena woman Chloe Mitchell has said their family must wait "yet again" to find out if the trial of a man accused of her murder will be disrupted by a barristers' strike.
The 21-year-old, from the Harryville area of the town, was killed in June 2023.
Brandon John Rainey, formerly of James Street, Ballymena, is due to go on trial for her murder on 23 February but the strike may delay the proceedings.
After another hearing on Friday to review arrangements for the trial, Chloe's sister Nadine Mitchell told BBC News NI that her whole family is in in "complete distress".
"All we can do is yet again wait, I mean we have waited all week on an answer," she said.
"We've had knots in our stomach, we're running off our little sleep.
"The whole family's just in complete distress."
It has stalled almost all criminal trials in Northern Ireland where the defendant requires legal aid.
The Mitchell family has called for an exception to be made in their case so the trial can proceed as planned.
What happened to Chloe Mitchell?
Chloe Mitchell was 21 when she disappeared from Ballymena in early June 2023.
Her disappearance prompted a series of extensive searches before her remains were found about a week later.
Mr Rainey was later arrested and charged with murdering Ms Mitchell between 2 and 5 June 2023.
He is further charged with attempting to prevent "the lawful and decent burial of a deceased body".
Pacemaker Press
Brandon Rainey is accused of the murder of Chloe Mitchell
Why are barristers on strike?
Barristers in Northern Ireland are protesting over the level of legal aid fees they receive for assisting defendants in criminal trials.
They recently complained that the fees had not risen in 20 years, having been set in 2005.
They claimed that a crisis had developed in the justice system due to the low rates of pay, with younger barristers refusing to take on legal aid cases.
The strike was called by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) which said the move was a "last resort" in its dispute with Stormont's Department of Justice.
Justice Minister Naomi Long said barristers were set to receive a 16% fee increase by mid-January, but the uplift did not stop the strike.
Last month, Chloe's father pleaded for an exception to be made that would allow murder trials to proceed during the barristers' strike.
George Mitchell said any delay to the criminal justice process would bring "more trauma and heartache" for victims' families.
At the time, he invited Justice Minister Naomi Long to meet him and his wife, Georgina, at their home in Ballymena.
On Thursday, Long said: "We cannot continue to hold these cases hostage while we have a discussion about legal aid fees. It isn't ethical and it isn't appropriate."
However, the minister explained that it was up to the CBA to decide which cases receive an exception in the barristers' strike.
