Jury deliberating in Sligo murder trial

A jury at the Central Criminal Court has suspended deliberations in the trial of a 30-year-old man charged with murdering a pensioner in Sligo. Simon McGinley, of Connaughton Road Car Park, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter in the death of Eugene Gillespie, aged 67, on September 22nd, 2012. Mr McGinley has also pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and trespass to commit robbery at Mr Gillespie's home on Old Market Street on September 19th, 2012. The State did not accept the manslaughter plea. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan directed the jury that the central question was whether the accused intended to cause serious injury. The prosecution argued intention can form instantaneously, while the defence submitted that pathological evidence showed injuries consistent with punches rather than a weapon. After deliberating for one-and-a-half hours, the jury will resume tomorrow.