Woman walks free from murder trial due to lack of evidence

The woman who has been on trial for several weeks for the murder of a young Cork man whose body was found in a field in Kerry walked free this afternoon when the trial judge directed the jury to find her not guilty.

Gillian Purcell who has been in custody on the murder charge walked free from the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork today.

Mr Justice Paul Carney said that having examined the prosecution evidence against Purcell it did not reach the level required – or come anywhere near it – to be put to a jury.

The judge explained that any verdict that they might reach on such evidence would not be safe so he had a legal obligation to take responsibility for the matter and direct them to find Gillian Purcell not guilty by direction of the trial judge.

Gillian Purcell, aged 34, of Simon, Anderson’s Quay, Cork, and formerly of Hollyhill, Cork, had always denied the charge in the trial which commenced on October 19.

The trial of her boyfriend, John Walsh, aged 45, originally from Ballinlough, Cork, and more recently of Cork Street, Mitchelstown, continued today on the charge of murdering John McManus on a date unknown between October 28 and November 7, 2008 at flat 1, 3 Verdon Place, Wellington Road, Cork.