Jury sworn in for Cork murder trial
Nine men and three women were sworn in today as a jury to hear the case against a 44-year-old man accused of the murder of 38-year-old Nicola Collins in a flat over a shop in Cork in March 2016.
Cathal O'Sullivan was arraigned yesterday at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork and he pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Collins.
The late Ms Collins was a native of St Brendan’s Park in Tralee, Co Kerry, but who had been living at Clashduv Road in the Togher area of Cork for a number of years.
Mr O'Sullivan, who is originally from Charleville, Co Cork, pleaded not guilty to a charge of murdering Nicola Collins on March 27, 2016, at a flat at 6A Popham's Road, Farranree, Cork, over the Gala store.
The jury was sworn in to hear the murder trial before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon.
The trial is scheduled to commence at 11am tomorrow.
Asking the jury to return to the court tomorrow, the judge said: “There are legal issues in the trial. They have to be discussed. They are going to take some time. I am going to send you away until those legal issues are sorted out.”
One juror indicated before he was sworn in that he would not be available after November 23. It was decided that he should be sworn in for the case on the basis the trial would be concluded by that date.
Ms Justice Creedon told the jury they would be making their decision at the end of the case based on the evidence presented in court and on nothing else and that it would be best not to read any media reports of the case.
She said they should not look into matters relating to the case through Google, Facebook or otherwise.
