LEGAL argument in the absence of the jury continued at the Central Criminal Court yesterday in the trial of a publican accused of the murders of his wife and a child in a fire.
It was the 16th day of the trial of Mr Francis McCann (36), who has denied the murders of his wife Esther (36) and 18 month old Jessica at the family home at Butterfield Avenue, Rathfaraham, Dublin, on September 4th, 1992.
The jury has been told Jessica was a blood relative of the accused man but not a child of his marriage to Esther. The prosecution has claimed that Mr McCann arranged the fatal fire because he did not want to tell his wife why the Adoption Board had refused the couple's application to adopt Jessica.
The jury was also told Mr McCann, who owned The Cooperage Pub in Blessington, Co Wicklow, had complained to gardai that he had received threatening phone calls to the pub and his home.