An Australian judge told jurors today not to take vengeance for the deaths of 15 backpackers in a hostel fire when they consider their verdict in an itinerant fruitpicker's murder trial.
The jury retired today to deliberate whether Australian Mr Robert Long was guilty of starting a fire at the backpacker hostel in Childers, 300 kilometres north of Brisbane, on June 23rd, 2000, and murdering two of the backpackers.
"You are not here to exact vengeance for the deaths of those 15 backpackers," said Brisbane Supreme Court Judge Peter Dutney.
"I have no doubt you will feel the pressure of the media spotlight. Doing your duty to maintain a dispassionate verdict will require courage," he told the 12-member jury.
Fifteen young backpackers, one of whom was Irish, died in the blaze at the century-old Palace Backpackers in Childers. The others killed were six Britons, four Australians, two Dutch backpackers, a South Korean traveller and a Japanese traveller.
Mr Long (38) has only been charged with murdering two Australians because a guilty verdict would see him jailed for life. He has pleaded not guilty.
Judge Dutney told the jury that if it did not unanimously agree to a murder verdict it could convict Long of manslaughter.
The manslaughter conviction would arise if the jury found Mr Long caused the fire through criminal negligence but had not intended to kill anyone or cause them grievous bodily harm.