Jury in Galway murder trial begin deliberations
A jury in the trial of a Galway traveller accused of the murder of his cousin and of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life retired to begin their deliberations this morning.
Mr Patrick Harty, aged 30, with an address at Carrowbrowne Halting Site, Carrowbrowne, Headford Road, Galway pleaded not guilty to the murder of his cousin Mr Thomas Harty, aged 26, at Woodlands Park Halting Site, Ballymorris Road, Co Laois over four years ago.
The victim was killed by two shot gun wounds to the chest and back after he was shot in his bed by two intruders as he slept with his wife and family in their caravan on Sunday May 16, 1999.
Mr Harty also denies the possession of a firearm charge.
The jury of eight men and four women retired at 11.40am today after Mr Justice John Quirke recounted all the evidence of the six-day trial for them.
He reminded them of the dangers of convicting on uncorroborated evidence and told them they had to be sure that Mr Harty’s statement to the gardaí was voluntary and true.
“You must consider very carefully every aspect of those circumstances that gave rise to these admissions. It’s very dangerous to convict in the absence of corroborative evidence.
"No other evidence has been produced by the State to link Patrick Harty to this crime apart from the statement taken by detectives Healy and Clancy” said Mr Justice Quirke in his address to the jury yesterday evening.
In an alleged confession to gardaí in July 1999 Mr Harty said he was forced against his will by his father and brother into driving the car for the two men who broke into the victim’s caravan and shot
him.
Neither of the two men were ever charged with murder.
In his address the judge also told the jury it should not be swayed by feelings of sympathy at the account it heard of the accused man's low level of intellectual ability.
The case has lasted six days in the Central Criminal Court.
