Jury sworn in for Scarlett Faulkner murder trial

A 17-year-old girl has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder, while her co-accused denies murdering Scarlett Faulkner in Tipperary

Scarlett Faulkner: Died on April 13 following an alleged incident at Birdhill, Co Tipperary, on March 21. 

A jury has been sworn in for the trial of a woman and a teenage girl accused of murdering mother-of-one Scarlett Faulkner in Tipperary earlier this year.

The 17-year-old girl, who cannot be identified because she is a minor, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter when arraigned before Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo at the Central Criminal Court on Monday.

Her 41-year-old co-accused pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Faulkner, aged 29, who died on April 13 following an alleged incident at Birdhill, Co Tipperary, on March 21. 

The woman also pleaded not guilty to burglary, entering a building as a trespasser, and causing criminal damage at an address in Tipperary on March 20.

She pleaded not guilty to a third charge of burglary and committing assault causing harm, at an address in Limerick on March 21.

The court heard that various recordings of dashcam footage would be presented to the jury during the trial. 

Defence barristers indicated that they had no objection to the footage being used during the proceedings.

Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing is prosecuting on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The 41-year-old woman is represented by Mark Thompson Grolimund and Amy Nix, while the teenage girl is represented by Colman Cody and Johanna O’Connor.

Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo instructed the eight men and four women on the jury not to look up any information about the case or discuss it with anyone outside the courtroom.

The judge adjourned the proceedings until Tuesday morning.

The trial is expected to last approximately four weeks, until around November 30.