East Coast FM report the jury in the retrial of a man charged with the murder of another man in Delgany 6 years ago has been discharged.
29 year old Thomas O’Connor, of Burnaby Court in Greystones, is accused of murdering 22 year old John O’Brien on the 4th of June in 2010, at Farrankelly Road in Delgany.
Mr O Brien died from ‘catastrophic brain injury’ after allegedly being struck on the head with a rock.
At his first trial in November 2011, O’Connor claimed that he acted in self defence. However he was convicted of murder and given a life sentence. That conviction was overturned on appeal in 2014, with a retrial ordered.
Last Monday at the Central Criminal Court, Mr O’Connor pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter .
However the prosecution rejected the plea and the the trial got underway on Tuesday.
Ms Justice Carmel Stewart told the jurors yesterday that one of their members would not be able to return and discharged the jury A new trial date was set for February 20th, of next year.
