-- Deepa Bharath Trial delayed for son...

-- Deepa Bharath

Trial delayed for son of British minister

A jury trial for Alastair Irvine, the 25-year-old son of a British

Cabinet minister, was postponed from Monday to Wednesday after a

request from the prosecution.

Irvine was arrested in late June on suspicion of vandalizing,

stalking and brandishing a weapon.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Mike Fell said he requested additional time to

work on the case.

“The defense also gave us some information that we are currently

reviewing,” he said.

Fell said the attorneys will meet with the judge on Wednesday to

see if they can proceed with the trial at that time.

The case is grabbing headlines in England because Irvine’s father

is Lord Derry Irvine of Lairg, the Lord Chancellor, who is close to

Prime Minister Tony Blair and holds the highest judicial position in

the country.

Superior Court Judge Everett Dickey on Oct. 11 dismissed a felony

vandalism charge against Irvine. He did not dismiss four other felony

counts -- another vandalism charge, stalking, burglary and criminal

threat.

Irvine, a Newport Beach resident, also faces a misdemeanor weapon

charge.

The charges against Irvine stem from various incidents starting in

March, when he allegedly got into a dispute with a neighbor and threw

acid on his car, officials with the district attorney’s office have

said.

Then, Irvine started pursuing a 19-year-old woman who already had

a boyfriend. When his advances were spurned, Irvine allegedly threw

acid on the boyfriend’s car.

Ultimately, Irvine went to the Newport Tanning Club in Costa Mesa

-- where the woman and her boyfriend worked -- with a concealed

weapon and reportedly threatened the boyfriend with bodily harm,

according to the district attorney’s office.

On Sept. 4, Irvine pleaded not guilty to one misdemeanor and five

felony charges. He could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Irvine remains in custody because the Immigration and

Naturalization Service has placed a hold on him and in lieu of a

$100,000 bail.

Rape case postponed

A preliminary hearing for three teenage boys who are accused of

gang-raping a 16-year-old girl in a Corona del Mar home was postponed

from Monday to Oct. 28.

Gregory Haidl, Kyle Nachreiner and Keith Spann -- all 17-year-old

students at Rancho Cucamonga High School -- allegedly drugged the

victim’s drink and then raped her while a video camera filmed the

incident on the evening of July 5 in the home of Don Haidl, an

assistant sheriff with the county.

At the preliminary hearing, the judge is expected to decide

whether there is enough evidence on the 21 felony charges against the

boys to go to trial. All three pleaded not guilty on July 17.