Jury sent out in Dublin murder trial

A jury in the trial of a Dublin man accused of murder at the Central Criminal Court were sent to a hotel tonight and will tomorrow morning resume their deliberations.

After deliberating for nearly three hours, the jury were unable to reach a verdict in the trial of Mr Jason Larkin, aged 20, of Ravensdale Road, East Wall, Dublin.

The accused denies stabbing Patrick Costello, aged 31, also of East Wall, at 'The Plough' public house, Marlborough Street on July 4, 2002.

It is claimed that Mr Larkin stabbed the victim after the pair had been involved in a slagging match or row after drinking in the Plough bar for several hours.

Today before the jury began their deliberations, Patrick McCarthy, senior counsel for the prosecution in his closing speech to the jury said Mr Larkin deliberately ran "towards Mr Costello, thrusting a knife into the chest and sack of the heart. This was a deliberate act by Mr Larkin.".

The force used Mr McCarthy, SC, said was "not necessary in the context of what was going on".

Mr Larkin said in his statement to the gardaí that "he was acting in self defence, saying 'I didn't mean to stab him, it was a collision'. This was no accident", Mr McCarthy, SC, today said.

Mr McCarthy, SC, for the prosecution claims that after Mr Larkin threw a glass at Mr Costello's head they both ended up at the porch of the bar where the accused allegedly drew his knife from the inside of his jacket and lunged it into the chest of the deceased.

"Mr Larkin used a knife in this case when it just wasn't warranted", Mr McCarthy, SC, said.

After the victim was stabbed, Mr McCarthy, SC, for the prosecution claims that Mr Larkin allegedly fled the scene, withdrew money from an ATM machine and continued drinking in the Forum bar in the city centre before passing by the scene again in the early hours of July 5, 2002.

"We say that Mr Larkin acted with purpose to bring about a result to cause serious injury to Mr Costello as a result of which he died", Mr McCarthy, SC, said.

Addressing the jury of eight men and four women, Ms Isobel Kennedy, senior counsel for the defence in her closing speech, said "self defence must be considered by you in this case".

Ms Kennedy, SC, urged the jury to place themselves into the situation that Mr Larkin was in on the night in question, asking the jury members would they have acted any differently to Mr Larkin.

"The bulk of the witnesses for the prosecution," Ms Kennedy said "were not credible".

The jury will resume their deliberations before Mr Justice Barry White at the Central Criminal Court tomorrow morning.