A huge fraud trial has been delayed for one year with jury trials still banned in NSW amid coronavirus restrictions.
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Sandra Henri Edmonds was a well-known Armidale conveyancer but stands accused of masterminding a multi-million-dollar investment fraud.
The 59-year-old was due to stand trial on Monday in the NSW District Court in Sydney on 40 fraud-related allegations, but her case has been pushed back until 2021.
Her trial was due to run for almost three months.
All jury trials are still suspended in NSW currently, but there could be some movement later this year, the NSW District Court announced on Monday.
Edmonds is accused of 38 counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception, as well as two charges of publishing false misleading material to obtain an advantage.
She has denied the charges.
In a hearing in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court, Judge Peter Whitford abandoned the May 11 start date, adjourning the 12-week trial to 2021.
He re-listed the trial for March in the same court next year.
The court heard the trial may not run 12 weeks as foreshadowed and could be "substantially reduced", with the Crown and defence to confirm the status at a mention of the case in December.
Edmonds remains on bail ahead of the trial. She was granted bail in the NSW Supreme Court in July on 16 strict conditions.
Edmonds is accused of operating the elaborate investment scam involving the sale of company shares. It was the police case that she acted alone.
Detectives allege Edmonds falsely represented an investment opportunity to victims and deceived them into handing over sums of cash before using the money for personal use.
Strike Force Amaranthus was launched by Armidale detectives. The extensive operation culminated in Edmonds' arrest in Armidale in July 2018.
At the time of her arrest, detectives claimed Edmonds had deceived her victims out of $2.1 million.
On Monday, the NSW District Court announced it intended to lift the temporary suspension on jury trials at three major court precincts, including Newcastle, Sydney and Parramatta, from mid-June.
Jurors will regularly have their temperatures checked and will be spread out around the courtroom when jury trials return, as part of several measures announced.