A jury has failed to reach a verdict in the trial of a 34-year-old Dubliner, charged with murdering two men, who were on their way to sell him a car they’d stolen.
The jury had been asked to use circumstantial evidence to convict Jason O'Driscoll of Richmond Avenue, Fairview. He had pleaded not guilty to murdering 31-year-old Anthony Burnett and 25-year-old Joseph Redmond, in Co. Louth on March 7th, 2012.
The Central Criminal Court heard emergency services were called to a burning car in a lay-by at Ravensdale Forest Park at 10.51 that night. Firefighters described seeing skulls and rib cages inside the car.
The six-week trial heard the two Dubliners died of gunshot wounds to their heads before petrol was used to set fire to the diesel car.
Mr O’Driscoll was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court on October 17th, and said “I’m innocent, your honour”, before adding the required “not guilty”.
It was the State’s case the accused had attended the Ravensdale murders with another man and had participated in their “assassination”.
The court heard evidence the two victims had left their homes that evening to travel north to sell him a car they’d stolen that morning. Mr O’Driscoll was living in Newry and had told them he’d pay €700 for the one-year-old Volkswagen Golf if they would drive it up to him.
While gardaí had informed Mr Redmond his life was under threat, Mr Burnett had turned his life around, had been off drugs for years, was mixing with different people and had bought his own apartment in Turkey. However, the trial heard his birthday was coming up and he was fed up with having no money.
Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy began charging the seven men and five women of the jury last Thursday, sending them out to begin considering their verdict on Tuesday.
Following 11 and a half hours of deliberations over four days, the jurors returned to court at lunchtime on Friday to say they could not reach either a unanimous or majority verdict.
The judge thanked them for their work and excused them from jury service for life.
He remanded Mr O’Driscoll in custody, and said he could bring a bail application at any time.