Defence claim case against men accused of Kieran Quilligan's murder has a big hole in the middle

The defence lawyers also said the jury was being invited to speculate on what the co-accused might have planned

The defence senior counsel for Niall Long (pictured) said: 'It is possible for you to say Niall Long is not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.'

Defence lawyers in the Kieran Quilligan murder trial said in their closing speeches on Tuesday there is a big hole in the middle of the prosecution case and that the jury was being invited to speculate on what the co-accused might have planned.

For Niall Long, the defence senior counsel Ray Boland said: “What is missing in this case — in the middle of this case? The prosecution says they have no direct evidence of who struck the blows that killed Kieran Quilligan. Nor does he have evidence of what was contemplated. There is no circumstantial evidence or any evidence of what the plan was.