Still no decision in murder case

A jury at the trial of a Cavan man accused of murder has today been sent home for the night, having failed to reach a verdict after a second day of deliberation.

The jury has so far been deliberating for almost five hours.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy has said that he will accept a majority verdict, in which not less than 10 of the jurors must agree.

Trevor McCabe (aged 34), Mountpleasant, Ballyconnell, Co Cavan has pleaded not guilty to murdering Darren McGrath (aged 33) in Belturbet, Co Cavan on May 20 last year.

It is the prosecution’s case that Mr McCabe shot Mr McGrath as he slept.

They say that Mr McCabe entered the house with a shotgun at approximately 5am, shot Mr McGrath twice, and then drove off.

Today, the jury asked to see an Adidas jacket again.

The jacket was exhibited during the trial.

The court heard that the jacket had been found amongst other items of clothing in a bag that had been left in a Spar shop in Dromore, Co Tyrone on the evening of May 20, hours after the alleged murder.

Also in the bag were combat trousers and a neck warmer, among other items of clothing.

The court heard that firearms residue was found on the jacket, as well as a sample of DNA matching the deceased’s.

Firearms residue was also found on the combat trousers and the neck warmer, the court heard.

Dr Thomas Hannigan, of the Forensic Science Laboratory, told the court that his findings “conclusively establish that the items of clothing had been close to or in contact with the source of the firearm residue”.

The court also heard that the accused was wearing an Adidas jacket and combat trousers in the hours before the alleged murder “similar” to those upon which the firearms residue was found.

The jury will resume its deliberations tomorrow morning.