Jury in David Mahon's murder trial retire without verdict for second day
The jurors in David Mahon’s murder trial have retired for a second day without reaching a verdict.
They’ve now spent just over five hours considering whether he’s guilty of his stepson’s murder, manslaughter or not guilty of both.
It is the prosecution’s case that Dave Mahon was drunk and agitated when he confronted his stepson Dean Fitzpatrick over a stolen water bottle on May 25th 2013 and that he stabbed him on the landing outside his apartment in north Dublin.
He claims it was an accident – that his stepson pulled the knife on him, that he took it off him and that he walked into it during a later confrontation.
The jurors have made a number of requests as part of their deliberations. They’ve asked for various pieces of evidence including a block of knives from Mr. Mahon’s kitchen, a knife that was found on his balcony and some CCTV footage.
They also asked for a number of legal principles to be explained to them including unlawful killing, causation, assault and recklessness.
Their deliberations were suspended briefly to allow a technician hook up a laptop to a plasma screen in the jury room.
They have now been sent away for a second night and will continue to consider one of the three verdicts open to them when they return in the morning.
