Munster abuse trial judge tells jury judgment must be rooted in facts not emotion

Defence counsel earlier suggested to the jury that that the evidence of the children had been “mismanaged”

Mr Justice McDermott told the jury they had heard evidence of the most disturbing and dreadful kind. He said it was understandable this would give rise to emotional reactions. File photo

A judge in a child abuse case has told the jury that despite hearing evidence of the most disturbing kind their judgment could not be rooted in emotion but had to be rooted in the facts of the case.

The eight-week trial of five family members reached it’s closing stages today as Mr Justice Paul McDermott began his charge to the jury.