The jury in the trial of a man who denies murdering his former flatmate in north Co Dublin by stabbing him 62 times has been told they can return a majority verdict.
Sebastian Barczuk (32), with an address at Briarwood Lawn, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his homeless friend Michal Kurek (33) at a place unknown within the State between August 3rd and 4th, 2017.
Shortly after 2pm on Wednesday, Mr Justice Tony Hunt gave the jury of seven men and five women the option of returning a majority verdict of which at least 10 of them agreed, saying: “I realise this is a complicated case with a lot of moving parts and this is not putting any pressure on you of any kind”. He also emphasised to the jury panel that he still wanted them “to work towards a unanimous verdict” but he was putting the option of a majority verdict “on the table” if that could not be achieved.
Before suspending their deliberations for the evening, the judge asked the foreman of the jury if they had reached a verdict of which at least 10 of them agreed and he replied: “No”.
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The Central Criminal Court jury has so far spent nine hours and 24 minutes over three days considering its verdict and will resume deliberating at 11am on Thursday.
Mr Kurek, a homeless man with addiction difficulties, was found lying face down in the gateway of a country lane in Ballyboughal with 62 stab wounds to his body, including 25 knife wounds to his back on the morning of August 4th. A Nokia 105 mobile phone was located in the right hand pocket of the deceased’s jeans and the handset was still powered on.
Former Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis has testified that the Polish national died from “multiple stab wounds and with a contributory factor of blunt-force trauma to the head and chest”.
The jury can return two verdicts in relation to the murder charge against Mr Barczuk, namely: guilty of murder or not guilty.