Jury fails to reach verdict in Mountjoy murder trial

The jury in the trial of a Mountjoy prisoner accused of murdering another inmate by stabbing him in the heart has failed to reach a verdict.

The foreman of the jury told Mr Justice Kevin O'Higgins that the jury was deadlocked following six hours and 18 minutes of deliberation.

Declan O’Reilly (aged 28) of Parnell Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12, had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin to murdering Derek Glennon on D wing of the prison on June 25, 2007.

The jury had spent a night in a hotel after failing to reach a verdict on Friday. It resumed deliberations on Saturday morning and was directed that it could return a majority verdict at lunchtime.

At 3.30pm the jury returned and informed the judge it was deadlocked. A verdict of disagreement was recorded and the case was put into the next list to fix trial dates.