Defence asked for jury to be discharged over judge’s summary claims

A MAJOR legal row broke out in the Eamonn Lillis murder trial when lawyers for the accused asked for the jury to be discharged over claims that the trial judge, Mr Justice Barry White, was pushing them towards a verdict of murder.

Defence barrister Brendan Grehan SC, launched a scathing attack on the manner in which Mr Justice White had summarised the evidence in the case. The exchange occurred on the 12th day of the trial in the absence of the jury during requisitions by lawyers for Lillis after the six male and six female jurors had been sent out to consider their verdict.

Mr Grehan accused the judge of being “partisan, unbalanced and highly selective” in his summing up of evidence and closing speeches by lawyers for the prosecution and defence. Lillis’s barrister claimed the effect of such action was directed at the jury to bring in a verdict of murder against his client.