The jury in the trial of the Derry man accused of murdering a pregnant mother of four today retired to consider its verdict.
Stephen Cahoon (37) of Harvey Street, Derry, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of mother-of-four Jean Teresa Quigley (30) on July 26th, 2008, in Cornshell Fields, Shantallow, north Derry. A postmortem found she was strangled and beaten.
Mr Cahoon admits killing his former girlfriend in July 2008 but denies murder.
Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy told the seven women and five men on the jury at the Central Criminal Court to return a unanimous verdict.
He said the accused could be found guilty of murder or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
“He got into the witness box and told you his version of events,” said the judge. “You can accept some of it .... in whole or in part.”
The case is making legal history. Mr Cahoon was charged under the Criminal Law Jurisdiction Act of 1976, and was given the option of being tried in Dublin or in Northern Ireland. He opted for Dublin, and became the first person to be tried before a jury for an offence under the legislation.