THE trial of four Polish men accused of gang raping a deaf woman in a York churchyard has finished without the jury reaching a verdict.

After two days of deliberations, the jury of five women and seven men could not make a decision on the case.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC, sitting at Leeds Crown Court yesterday, said there would be a retrial, which may be held next March.

Cezary Krasnopolski, 26, Marcin Legowski, 23, Dominik Knoblauch, 22, all of Lincoln Street, off Leeman Road, York, and Janusz Rucinski, 23, of a hostel in Bishophill, York, deny rape.

It is alleged they targeted the 37-year-old deaf woman after drinking in the Reflex bar in George Hudson Street, on November 13 last year, and each raped her twice in the grounds of St Martin's Church, St Martin's Lane.

The woman told the court through sign language interpreters her drink had "tasted funny" and she thought it may have been spiked.

She described feeling "dizzy and weird" and said she bumped into one of the defendants, Marcin Legowski, who said to her: "Come with me."

The woman followed him up the street and claimed Legowski took her into the graveyard, where he raped her followed by the three others.

But the defendants say the woman consented by beckoning them over and nodding her head when they asked her for sex.

Judge Durham Hall thanked the jury for playing their part in a "difficult and unpleasant case", adding: "I have to discharge you without giving a verdict. It is certain in my judgement there will be a retrial, another jury on another day."

The reason for the jury being discharged and the decision to hold a new trial in March will now be put before the Recorder of Leeds Judge Norman Jones QC, who will set the final date.

The defendants were remanded in custody until the new trial.