A central Criminal Court jury in the trial of a Kerry man accused of murdering a teenager in Tralee was sent to a hotel last night. Jurors retired to consider their verdict at 2.48 p.m. yesterday after Mr Justice Kinlen had completed his address to them.
The judge brought the jury of eight women and four men back at 5.25 p.m. and told members he was sending them to a hotel overnight since they had not reached a verdict.
Mr Michael O'Brien (26), single and unemployed of Gallowsfield, Tralee, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of James Healy (16) of Shanakill, Tralee, at Monavalley Industrial Estate in Tralee on or about February 22nd, 1997. The jury had been told during the 43-day trial that after having been missing for three days, Mr Healy's body was found on waste ground near a factory.
The State Pathologist, Prof John Harbison, previously told the court Mr Healy had had 13 teeth knocked out and 20 head injuries.