The jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering his former girlfriend has been told to act clinically, dispassionately and without sympathy when deliberations begin.
Mr Justice Michael MacGrath began charging the jury of seven men and five women in the Central Criminal Court this morning.
Daniel Murtagh, of Melrose Grove, Bawnogue, Clondalkin in Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder but guilty to the manslaugher of 30-year-old Nadine Lott at St Mary's Court, Arklow, Co Wicklow, on 17 December 2019.
During the trial the jury was told Ms Lott suffered "severe blunt force trauma" at the hands of her former partner "in a sustained and violent attack" in her home.
It heard evidence that the injuries were so serious that she never regained consciousness and died three days later in St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin.
Summing up the evidence, Mr Justice MacGrath told the jury to "free your mind of any prejudices, you must act clinically, dispassionately and without sympathy" for the deceased, her family, the accused or his family.
He said the jurors are here to assess the evidence, to determine the facts and decide if the accused is guilty or not guilty of the charge against him.
Mr Justice MacGrath said murder is a crime of a specific intent.
The jury was told the prosecution must establish that there was an intention to kill or cause serious injury to Ms Lott for a murder conviction.
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Prosecuting counsel John O'Kelly told the jury in his closing argument that this case is "nothing short of murder".
Closing the case for the defence last week, senior counsel Brendan Grehan asked the jury to consider Mr Murtagh’s level of intoxication that night.
He said the "bloodbath" would not have happened "but for the drink and drugs" that his client had consumed.
The jury will begin its deliberations tomorrow morning.
