A 30 year-old Galway man accused of murdering his cousin was “a very vulnerable person” with a mild to moderate mental handicap, a defence witness told a jury at the Central Criminal Court today.

A traveller accused of murder told gardaí he was forced to drive the getaway car for two gunmen against his will, a jury at the Central Criminal Court heard today.

The murder trial of a Galway traveller ground to a halt on its first day today when up to six garda witnesses failed to appear at the Central Criminal Court.