VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A gang-related trial that has been underway for more than a year is wrapping up this week in BC Supreme Court.

The case is known as the Greeks murder trial, involving five accused in three drug-related murders in the Vernon-area.

It’s BC’s longest running criminal jury trial.

News1130 legal analyst Michael Shapray says cases like this put a strain on the courts.

“Anytime you have cases that go beyond multiple days and weeks into multiple months and sometimes years, certainly it puts a stress on court resources and the availability of courts and judges to hear other cases,” he explains.

Shapray says the more police focus on gang crackdowns, the more we’ll see these complex trials.

“I think as resources are put into that type of detection, we’re going to see more and more of those cases coming before the court.”

The jury in this case is expected to receive its final instructions from the judge this week, before beginning deliberations.