Two men pleaded guilty to charges arising from the murder of Ian Ogle.
Mr Ogle was beaten and stabbed to death close to his Cluan Place home in east Belfast on January 27 2019.
A trial into his murder involving eight defendants was due to commence at Belfast Crown Court on Monday.
Whilst the non-jury trial didn't start, two men charged with lesser offences linked to the fatal incident asked to be re-arraigned and admitted their guilt.
As Mr Ogle’s family sat in the public gallery, the first defendant in the dock was Reece Kirkwood (26) from Tower Court in Belfast.
At the request of his barrister, Kirkwood was re-arraigned on a charge of withholding information concerning an arrestable offence between January 26 and 29 2019.
He was charged that knowing other persons had committed murder or a relevant offence, he had information likely to secure apprehension which he failed to give to a constable.
When asked how he pleaded, Kirkwood replied “guilty”.
His barrister told Mr Justice O’Hara that pre-sentence reports were being sought and was informed that sentencing will take place at the conclusion of the murder trial.
Next to be re-arraigned on a charge of assisting an offender was 36-year old Thomas McCartney.
From Wolff Close in Belfast, McCartney was charged that between January 26 and 29 2019 knowing another person has committed murder or a relevant offence, he did an act with intent to impede their apprehension by taking possession of and retaining a set of Seat Leon car keys.
After the charge was put to McCartney, he entered a guilty plea.
Both men were released on continuing bail.
Six men now face trial - five charged with murder and one with assisting offenders.
Those charged with murder are Jonathan Brown (38) from Whinney Hill in Dundonald, Walter Irvine (42) from Litchfield Street in Belfast, Glenn Rainey (37) whose address was given as Ballyhalbert Caravan Park, Mark Sewell (45) from Glenmount Drive in Newtownabbey and 41-year old Robert Spiers from Millars Park in Dundonald.
Christopher Haire (54), from Killagan Bend in Belfast, faces a single charge of assisting offenders.
When he enquired about the commencement of the trial, Mr Justice O’Hara was told by a Crown barrister: “There is evidence upon which the prosecution intend to rely that is the subject of a legal argument as to its admissibility.”
The prosecutor asked that this legal argument be held over the next few days and proposed that following this, the Crown may be in a position to open its case either this Thursday or next Monday.
Mr Justice O’Hara then addressed the public gallery and said: “There are no faces to be covered at any time in court. There are no heads to be covered at any time in court. There are no sunglasses to be worn at any time in court.
"There are no hats and scarves be worn in court, no hoods up in court, no scarves over faces and no masks or balaclavas.
“Anyone who is seen to have breached those will be removed from the court and I’ll leave it for the police to deal with it.”