Jury at murder trial told to return unanimous verdict

The jury in the trial of a man for the murder of a Galway schoolgirl has

been directed to return a majority verdict following its failure to return

a unanimous verdict after two days of deliberation.

The jury of nine women and three men spent a night in a local hotel after they failed to determine if the 27-year-old Galway man accused of the murder of the 17-year-old Siobhan Hynes on a beach in December 1998.

The Judge for the trial Mr Justice Patrick Smith has told the jury that

is should still try to return a unanimous decision but if it could not a

majority of no less then ten jurors will suffice.

Two members of the jury have already asked to be allowed to further examine some of the items of clothing of the victim after fibres from her clothes were found on the clothes of the accused man.

The man who has been accused of the murder cannot be named for legal reasons but it is understood that he is from the area.