Jury fails to agree verdict in trial of woman accused of crushing taxi driver

A jury has today failed to agree on a verdict in the retrial of a woman, accused of crushing a taxi driver to death with her car.

A jury has failed to agree on a verdict in the retrial of a woman, accused of crushing a taxi driver to death with her car.

Claire Nolan (aged 25) of Sheephill Green in Blanchardstown, Dublin admitted killing 66-year-old Michael Duffy at Wellview Grove in Blanchardstown on January 26, 2008, but denies murder.

Ms Nolan has been tried twice in connection with driving her Nissan Micra into Michael Duffy, crushing him to death. There has now twice been a hung jury when deciding on the murder charge.

On this occasion, the jury spent nearly five hours trying to reach a verdict.

The mother-of-one told gardaí that it was the victim's son Fran she had meant to knock down, but that his father jumped in the way of her car and she could not stop.

She told detectives that she had been drinking wine and taking drugs in the house next door when a row broke out because someone told her Fran had tampered with her car.

It is now up to the DPP to decide whether to try Ms Nolan a third time or accept her manslaughter plea.

Ms Nolan has been released on bail to return to court next month.