JURY GOES OUT IN CITY MURDER TRIAL

Date Published: 25-Jan-2013

A jury in the trial of a woman charged with the murder of her former lover has been sent to lunch and will resume its deliberations again at 2.15 this afternoon.

31 year old Maura Thornton, from Inverin, Connemara, denies the murder of 59 year old US national Kevin Joyce at a rented apartment in 183 Upper Salthill on Sunday, July 31, 2011.

Evidence in the five-day murder trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Galway concluded last evening with closing arguments to the jury from both the prosecution and defence teams.

Mr Justice Barry White gave his charge to the jury of nine men and three women this morning and they retired at 12.20 today to consider their verdict.

The judge sent them to lunch at 1pm and they will resume their deliberations again at 2.15.

Earlier, he had told the jury they could convict the accused of manslaughter if they accepted Ms Thornton's assertion she had been provoked.