The jury in the trial of two sisters accused of murdering their mother's boyfriend and dumping his headless body in the Royal Canal in Dublin spent a second night in a hotel last night after it did not reach a verdict.
The jury of six men and six women will resume its deliberations this morning after having spent more than nine hours considering its verdict yesterday at the Central Criminal Court.
Charlotte Mulhall (23), Kilclare Gardens, Tallaght, a mother of one and Linda Mulhall (31) from the same address, a mother of four, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Farah Swaleh Noor (38), also known as Sheilila Salim, at Richmond Cottages, Ballybough, on March 20th last year.
Mr Justice Paul Carney told the jurors there were four verdicts open to them in respect of each accused. These were murder, manslaughter, "accessory after the fact" of the killing, where they found they were not directly concerned with the killing but gave assistance to the person who perpetrated it, and acquittal.
Yesterday, the jury sought clarification from the trial judge, Mr Justice Paul Carney, about the legal definitions of provocation and self-defence.
The jury will meet again to consider its verdict at 11am this morning.