A Longman direction may not be required where delay is approximately four years, the delay is explained, and the prejudice arising from delay is either obvious to the jury or the subject of specific direction. Where a Longman direction is given in cases of relatively short delay, the length of the delay affects the content and strength of the warning required, and a Murray direction combined with identification of specific disadvantages may suffice. The absence of complaint by trial counsel is a reasonably reliable indicator that there was no reasonable cause for concern about the adequacy of directions.
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