A judge on Wednesday refused to lift an anonymity order that protects the identity of the Crown's principal witness in the case of four people charged with the murder of Kurt McCartney.

Lawyers for the defendants Thorne Edwards, Okell Farrington, Sumya Ingraham and Lyndera Curry asked Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs to discharge the order, as they alleged the witness had already made himself known to the defendants.

At the trial, the witness will testify behind an opaque screen from an undisclosed location via videolink. The witness' voice will be distorted and the person will be referred to as Alpha witness.

Prosecutors say the defendants murdered McCartney during an armed robbery at Gambier Village on October 24, 2013. Businessman Terry Delancy, the owner of Virgo Car Rental, is accused of being an accessory after the fact. The trial is now set to begin on November 23. Previous trial dates of March 2, 2015 and September 27 were vacated either because the court was engaged in another matter or defense counsel were before other courts.

McCartney was the brother of Democratic National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney. His Hummer was discovered by police a few hours after his death east of Traveller's Rest Restaurant.

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