Jury retires for weekend after failing to reach verdict in Dublin stairwell stabbing murder trial
A jury tasked with deciding whether a 19-year-old who stabbed his best friend to death is guilty of murder or manslaughter will return to the Central Criminal Court on Monday.
Nineteen-year-old Graham McEvoy of Captain's Road in Crumlin has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Paul "Paulie" Curran (23) at Seagull House on Crumlin Road in Dublin on July 16, 2016.
His plea was not accepted by the State and he is on trial at the Central Criminal Court.
The murder trial has heard that 23-year-old Paul Curran was stabbed up to six times on the stairwell of the Seagull House Flat Complex in Crumlin in July 2016.
Mr Curran stumbled into a flat and was taken to St James Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The court heard the cause of death was a stab wound to the left chest while the other stab wounds were contributory factors.
During interviews with gardai Mr McEvoy said he met Mr Curran to sell him half an ounce of cocaine but when he asked for the money Mr Curran pulled a knife and tried to slash him. His barrister Barry White SC said the teenager was acting in self-defence and should be found guilty of manslaughter and not murder.
McEvoy admits manslaughter but denies murder.
Following a five day trial, the jury began considering its verdict yesterday.
This afternoon, the jurors asked for the State Pathologists evidence to be read to them again.
They also asked for the definition of murder and manslaughter to be explained.
The Judge told the jurors they could deliver a majority verdict but they still had not reached a decision after around six hours of deliberations.
They have now retired for the weekend and will resume their deliberations on Monday.
