The jury in the Jordan Watson murder trial has restarted its deliberations this morning.

Jury members, who were sent home yesterday afternoon, have been told they can deliver manslaughter verdicts if they believe a defendant did not intend to kill or seriously harm the schoolboy.

Summing up, the judge urged the jury to consider the evidence dispassionately.

"Manslaughter exists where you conclude that the defendant did take part in the fatal attack on Jordan Watson but in so doing did not intend to kill him or cause really serious harm to him," said the judge, Mr Justice Nicholas Green.

The judge said a murder verdict can only be reached where the jury believes a defendant intended to kill or cause Jordan serious harm.

He told the jury: "You need to be fair and dispassionate.

"You must judge the case in the way you would wish to be judged if you were in the dock.

"This case has given rise to a great deal of emotion. It requires you to have a really cool head.

"Look long and hard at the evidence. Form a considered view of it. You are not here to like or dislike the defendants. You are here to form an objective view of the evidence."

The judge told the jury: "Ask yourselves what possible motive could someone have for killing young Jordan Watson? 

"This is not a case about drug turf wars, or gang violence, or organised crime. 

"This is a particularly and acutely tragic case which the prosecution says focuses on teenage emotions." 

Mr Justice Green said Thomson had accepted he was "madly in love" with Jordan's girlfriend and that the schoolboy was in his way. 

But Thomson, said the judge, had told the court that at the time when Jordan was murdered he was already going out with someone else. 

Thomson also said that he did things to impress his friends - to "big himself up."

Turning the facts of the case, the judge said: "Jordan Watson was 14 years and 3 months old.

"He was a child.

"By all accounts, he was a lively lad, held in great affection by his family and friends. He was going out with his childhood sweetheart.

"He was brutally slaughtered."

The judge added that Jordan had suffered more than 40 blows directed at his neck and head from a knife or bladed instrument of some kind.

Mr Justice Green said there was "no actual evidence" that Daniel Johnston had concealed the bike he had with him on June 15. 

He had told the jury that he took the bike to his sister's house. The prosecution claimed that the bike may have had Jordan's blood on it and for this reason been hidden. 

But police had not specifically looked for the bike at the sister's house because at the time they had not known it may be relevant, added the judge.

Jordan's body was found at Upperby Cemetery on June 16 last year.

Thomson, 19, is accused of inflicting Jordan’s fatal wounds.

The prosecution says he wanted the schoolboy dead because he had an obsessive desire to be with Jordan's girlfriend, which Thomson denies.

He is said to have enlisted help from Brahnn Finley, 19, of Furze Street and Daniel Johnston, 20, of Petteril Bank Road, Harraby.

All three defendants deny murder.