The jury in the Catherine Nevin trial has retired to a hotel in Dublin for the fourth consecutive night. The jurors have been told that they have the option of disagreeing on any of the four charges they are considering. However Miss Justice Carroll said she was still inviting them to reach verdicts. Shortly before seven o’clock she sent them back to their hotel for a fourth night.
Twelve men and women have now spent 23 hours spread over four days considering whether Catherine Nevin is guilty or not guilty of soliciting three men to murder her husband. If they have reached guilty verdicts on any of these three charges then they may well be considering their verdict on the charge that she murdered Tom Nevin.
They already have the option of returning majority decisions and tonight Miss Justice Mella Carroll told them that if they felt no useful purpose would be served by continuing their discussions on any count, they have the option of disagreeing. However Miss Justice Carroll said she was not inviting them to do that, she was still inviting them to reach verdicts. It has been a complex case, she told them and there is no pressure on them to come back with a verdict.
She also informed them that she made an order today preserving their anonymity and banned any photographs being taken of them. The crowds at the trial were strictly controlled today. The jury resumes deliberations at ten o’clock tomorrow.
