A jury at the trial of a Dublin man accused of murder has failed to reach a verdict.
The six men and six women had deliberated for eleven hours at the Central Criminal Court on the trial of Brian Rattigan (28), Cooley Rd, Drimnagh, Dublin, who pleaded not guilty murdering Declan Gavin (21), Mourne Rd, Drimnagh, at Crumlin Rd, Crumlin on August 25th, 2001.
It was the prosecution’s case that Mr Rattigan stabbed Mr Gavin in a “targeted attack” outside an Abrakebabra fast-food outlet at the Crumlin Shopping Centre.
The jury was sent home for the weekend on Friday after deliberating for approximately 11 hours.
On Friday, the jury asked to listen again to the evidence of Det Garda Christopher O’Connor and Det Sgt Séamus Quinn. During the trial, Det Garda O’Connor said he found a palm mark on the exterior of Abrakebabra’s window, which he later matched to Mr Rattigan.
Det Sgt Quinn said he took a swab from two inches below the palm mark. The swab was later confirmed as blood, DNA profiled and matched to a sample of Mr Gavin’s blood.
Mr Justice Barry White was told that at least ten of the jury members had failed to reach a verdict.
He thanked the jury members for the “conscientious manner in which you have attended to this case.
He said that it would be “inappropriate to comment on the evidence of the case... other than to say I can readily appreciate how there may have been diverging views among your number.
“Had the case proceeded to finality, there were comments I’d like to have made in relation to the evidence in this case,” he said.