Descendants of an Ulster peer have been given until today to settle a bitter family feud - or a judge will decide it for them.
In the High Court in Belfast yesterday, Mr Justice Girvan said he was not prepared to grant another adjournment of the case involving three descendants of the Earl of Kilmorey, of Kilkeel, Co Down.
The dispute has already resulted in Ms Marion Scarlett Needham Russell (33) spending a week in jail for contempt of the judge's order to reveal where she has hidden £250,000 worth of family heirlooms. She claims the missing antiques are her agreed one-third share of the contents of the ancestral home, Mourne Park House, Kilkeel, and wants to keep them.
But her sister, Ms Debonair Norah Needham Horsman (35) and brother Mr Philip James Anley (26), who had her jailed for contempt of court, are contesting her action to set aside a previous court order dividing up the estate and antiques, worth £750,000.
They say that if the "chattels" are not returned then a planned auction would not be a success.
The hearing had been adjourned until yesterday in the hope that overnight talks would result in the parties reaching an agreement. But Mr Justice Girvan was told that difficulties had arisen over agreeing the contents of lists of antiques and more time was needed.
Granting a final adjournment, the judge warned that if the matter was not resolved then the case would start today.