The state trial of two former Minneapolis police officers over the death of George Floyd has been delayed once again, with a judge now pushing the start date back to January.

       Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng were due to stand trial on Monday 13 June on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the Memorial Day 2020 murder of the Black 46-year-old, which sparked racial justice protests across the globe.

       But just one week before the start date, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill postponed the trial until 5 January 2023, citing efforts to ensure the suspects can receive a fair trial.

       The judge, who also presided over the murder trial of their fellow officer Derek Chauvin, said that the publicity surrounding both the officers’ federal trial earlier this year and the change in plea from their co-defendant Thomas Lane have created “a reasonable likelihood of an unfair trial” if it were to go ahead next week.

       The defence had filed a motion requesting a change in venue because of the publicity surrounding the case. Judge Cahill denied the request but said he would implement a seven-month delay.

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       The delay comes just weeks after their fellow disgraced former officer Thomas Lane pleaded guilty to the aiding and abetting charges.

       The three former officers had been due to stand trial together on the charges prior to Lane changing his plea on 18 May.

       All three are already behind bars after they were found guilty in February at their federal trial of depriving Floyd’s civil rights during his deadly arrest over a $20 counterfeit bill.

       The state trial has been delayed multiple times already and will now take place almost three years on from Floyd’s murder back on Memorial Day 2020.

       Footage of his death showed white officer Chauvin kneeling on the Black man’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds until he passed out and died beneath his knee.

       Mr Floyd, a 46-year-old father, begged for air dozens of times, saying: “I can’t breathe.”

       Mr Thao, a veteran officer of eight years, held back bystanders and stopped them from intervening during the fatal encounter.

       Mr Kueng pinned Mr Floyd down on his back and Mr Lane held down his legs.

       Bystanders who had gathered on the scene shouted at the officers to stop and urged them to administer medical care but they were ignored.

       Video of the fatal encounter sent shockwaves across the globe and led to calls for racial justice and an end to police brutality against Black people.

       Chauvin, who was tried separately from the other three, was convicted of second-degree murder and manslaughter at his April 2021 state trial.

       He was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years in prison.

       Chauvin was due to stand trial with the three other officers on federal charges but avoided trial by reaching a plea deal with federal prosecutors in December.

       Under the terms of the deal, he pleaded guilty to civil rights charges in exchange for being moved to federal prison.