Tensions rose in the trial of Lindsay Clancy after a judge refused to remove a juror who has become a holdout during deliberations.

The judge determined that there was not sufficient legal justification to dismiss the juror, despite concerns raised about the jury’s ability to reach a verdict.

Clancy is accused of killing her three young children in their Massachusetts home before attempting to take her own life.

The jury has been deliberating over the evidence and charges, with the disagreement among jurors creating a tense atmosphere in court, the BBC has reported.

The judge’s decision means the holdout juror will remain on the panel as deliberations continue toward a verdict.