THE jury in the trial of a Limerick man charged with the murder of another man in the city was discharged last night after failing to reach a verdict in the case.
The six women and five men failed to reach a decision in the trial of Mr Anthony Broderick following more than three hours' deliberation at the Central Criminal Court and were discharged by Mr Justice Hood. He put the matter in for mention on May 8th when a new trial date is expected to be set and remanded Mr Broderick in custody. He said the" matter of bail was for another judge to consider.
Mr Broderick (22), of O'Malley Park, South Hill, Limerick, had denied the murder of Mr James Doyle (49), also of O'Malley Park, on September 3rd, 1995. The nine day trial heard that Mr Doyle probably died almost instantly after he was shot when he went to answer a knock at his front door on that night.
In admissions to the court, Mr Broderick accepted that on September 3rd, 1995, two people wearing balaclavas and each carrying a shotgun approached the house in O'Malley Park where Mr Doyle was staying. One or other of these two had fired a shot through the hall door and kicked the door in. The shot hit Mr Doyle and he died soon after.
Mr Justice Flood charged the jurors before sending them to consider their verdict at 4 p.m. He discharged them at 7.15 p.m.
Earlier, closing the case for the State, Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC said the prosecution did not have to prove that Mr Broderick was the one who fired the shot.
He said Mr Broderick had given an account of his movements on the night of the killing which had been contradicted by his former girlfriend Ms Emma Collins during questioning by gardai on September 12th, 1995.
Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, defending, said there was no forensic evidence, no fingerprint evidence and "no scientific evidence whatsoever" against Mr Broderick.