The verdict time had come, then silence ...

THE bells of the nearby St Francis’s Church tolled solemnly as midday approached and then silence descended.

Minutes later, the jury in the Robert Holohan murder trial left Courtroom Number Two at Cork Courthouse to decide their verdict. Was Wayne O’Donoghue guilty of murder or manslaughter?

On the 10th day of the Central Criminal Court sitting, the sombre mood of the courtroom was even more pronounced. An air of tension punctuated the air and counsel for both sides looked focused, if not slightly edgy.