A 35-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to the murder of a mother of two in Ennis, Co Clare last year.
Patrick Ballard, formerly of Ashford Court Hotel in Ennis, was arraigned in the Central Criminal Court this afternoon.
Mr Ballard pleaded not guilty to murdering Sharon Bennett on 10 February 2021.
Mr Justice Paul Burns told the jury that an incident occurred in Market place in Ennis on 28 January and Ms Bennett died a number of weeks later.
He said both Ms Bennett and Mr Ballard had been living in Ennis at the time.
A jury of five women and seven men have been chosen.
The trial will get under way tomorrow and is expected to last two weeks.
