Jury discharged in child abandonment case

The jury in the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of a woman accused of abandoning her baby outside a pub in which the child’s father was drinking has been discharged.

The 35 year-old Dublin woman had pleaded not guilty to wilfully abandoning the four-month-old outside the Belgard Pub, Tallaght on April 26, 2003. It was day two of the hearing.

Judge Donagh McDonagh told the jury,which had been deliberating for around 20 minutes, that following certain requesistions from defence counsel, Mr Paul Greene BL, and prosecuting counsel, Ms Martina Baxter BL, he had to withdraw the case from it.

The woman has been remanded for mention of the case on December 3 so that a new trial date can be set.