Jury sent home in Douglas murder trial

The jury in the murder trial of Jonathan Douglas, the 27-year-old accused of shooting dead Aidan Byrne, has been sent home for the weekend after failing to reach a verdict.

The 10-day trial reached its closing stages on Thursday at the Central Criminal Court and the jury commenced their deliberations this morning.

After three hours and 39 minutes deliberating, Mr Justice Paul Carney told the jury of seven men and five women to suspend their deliberations and to resume on Monday morning.

He told the jury a majority verdict is acceptable.

Father-of-one Aidan Byrne, was shot 10 times while he sat in the passenger seat of a car in Drumalee estate on February 20, 2010.

Jonathan Douglas of O'Devaney Gardens in Dublin has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Byrne.