Jury in Kehoe RTE case told to reach majority verdict after it was unable to reach unanimous one

After more than four hours of deliberation, which began on Thursday evening, the jury was called out by Mr Justice Bernard Barton who asked whether they could reach a unanimous decision. The foreman said they could not.

The judge sent them back to continue deliberations and said they could now reach a majority verdict of at least nine. Only the same nine could make a decision in relation to all questions being considered by the jury.

Mr Kehoe claimed RTÉ defamed him when it broadcast comments by former Labour Party TD, Joe Costello, during a live "Saturday with Claire Byrne" radio programme on October 24, 2015.

Mr Costello said a former IRA chief of staff was directing SF members of Dublin City Council how to vote at monthly meetings. Mr Kehoe's name was first mentioned by another radio panellist, then SF councillor now Deputy Eoin Ó'Broin, who went on to defend Mr Kehoe before Mr Costello withdrew the claim and said instead Mr Kehoe "was" a senior IRA member. Mr Kehoe was not on the radio panel.

RTE denied he was defamed and said it is not liable for the matters he complained of.

Mr Kehoe (pictured below) said he had spent 26 years rebuilding his reputation since his release from his last prison sentence for weapons possession and this was undone in "one swipe".