A trial is to start in 11 months for eight people accused in the biggest mass slaying in modern Ontario history.

Superior Court Justice Thomas Heeney set Sept. 8, 2008, to begin the trial of eight people charged in connection with the deaths of eight Bandido motorcycle club members in Elgin County on April 8, 2006.

The trial is expected to last three to six months.

Seven of the accused, all in custody, were in London's spacious high-tech, high- security London courtroom to listen to their lawyers hammer out when the trial date would be set.

Wayne Kellestine, 58, Frank Mather, 33, both of Dutton-Dunwich; Brett Gardiner, 23, of no fixed address; Michael Sandham, 37, Marcelo Aravena, 31, and Dwight Mushey, 39, of Winnipeg, are each charged with eight counts of first-degree murder.

Eric Niessen, 46, and Kerry Morris, 47, of Monkton in Perth County, are charged with accessory after the fact and obstruction of justice.

Only Morris is out of custody. She did not attend yesterday's hearing and had Niessen's lawyer, Jonathan Bliss, appear on her behalf.

It turned out to be a tedious exercise co-ordinating the schedules of eight defence teams -- most from Toronto -- with the Crown's and Heeney's schedule.

The assignment court hearing lasted all morning. At one point, Aravena snoozed in the corner of the prisoner's box with his arms crossed over his chest.

Heeney said the public has an interest in the trial beginning "as soon as reasonably possible."

Elgin County Crown attorney Kevin Gowdey told Heeney the prosecution could begin a trial in January.

Most defence lawyers agreed they could make themselves available by summer, except Chris Angelini, from Edward Royle's office representing Dwight Mushey, who asked the case be delayed until after Labour Day.

Heeney set the trial for September to allow Mushey to keep his lawyer.

Heeney also set March 31 as the start date to hear pre-trial motions for five weeks. More time is available in May if everything hasn't been argued.

A publication ban was placed on material regarding the pre-trial motions.

The trial is set to start 29 months to the date after the eight men were found shot to death in vehicles found haphazardly parked on a quiet, rural Elgin County road near Shedden.

George Jessome, 52, of Toronto; George Kriarakis, 28, of Toronto; John Muscedere, 48, of Chatham; Luis Manny Raposo, 41; Frank Salerno, 43, of Etobicoke; Paul Sinopoli, 30, of Sutton; Jamie Flanz, 37, of Keswick; and Michael Trotta, 31, of Mississauga, were all connected to the Bandido motorcycle club.

All eight accused were committed to stand trial in June after a lengthy Ontario Court preliminary hearing that started in January.