The trial for Trent Butt, the Carbonear father accused of killing his child, has been set over to March 2019.

Family and supporters of Quinn Butt, the fair-haired five-year-old girl killed on April 24, 2016, gasped and wept as the trial date was set during arraignment at Supreme Court in St. John's on Monday.

Trent Butt was supposed to go to trial in late March, with more than 1,000 St. John's citizens receiving jury summons for the high-profile case.

Instead, Butt fired his attorneys, Mike King and Bob Simmonds, the week before trial was set to begin.

Trent Butt arrived at Supreme Court. He is being represented by legal aid lawyer Derek Hogan. Hogan says he’s available NEXT March. Quinn Butt’s supporters gasp, rub Quinn’s mother’s back. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nlcrime?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nlcrime</a> <a href="https://t.co/LXHhxn1Jyw">pic.twitter.com/LXHhxn1Jyw</a> —@arianakelland

At the time, St. John's lawyer Bob Buckingham told the court he was prepared to represent Butt but changes to provincial rules means Butt can no longer have a lawyer of his choice.

Originally, Butt retained private counsel with a Legal Aid certificate but after he fired them he could no longer transfer it to another lawyer of his choice.

Buckingham was in the gallery for Monday's proceeding, but Butt was represented by Legal Aid lawyer Derek Hogan.

His four-week trial has been slated for March 4, 2019. Butt is facing charges of first-degree murder and arson.

Andrea Gosse, seen here in an undated family photo, was present at Supreme Court on Monday to hear that the trial had been set over by a year. (Family photo)

It's alleged Butt killed his daughter before setting his house on fire.

At the time, Butt also sustained serious injuries and was taken to the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's, where a Supreme Court justice laid charges at his bedside.