Jury to begin deliberating in trial of man accused of murdering his best friend

A jury at the Central Criminal Court has begun deliberations in the trial of a man charged with murder following a fatal shooting in County Kildare in April 2013. Darren Wynne, aged 21 of Athy, initially entered a not guilty plea to murder but subsequently changed his plea to guilty of manslaughter. The Director of Public Prosecutions rejected this offer. Wynne has also pleaded guilty to possession of a sawn-off shotgun in suspicious circumstances. The incident occurred on 6 April 2013 when the victim, a 20-year-old, was shot at close range. Wynne has contended that the shooting was accidental and has raised provocation as a potential defence, claiming the deceased made threats. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan instructed the jury that should provocation be established on the evidence, it would have the effect of reducing a murder conviction to manslaughter. Two co-accused, Quentin Monaghan and James Seery, both aged 21, have had their manslaughter pleas accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions and will not proceed to trial. Both have also admitted to firearms offences in connection with the incident. The prosecution's case against Wynne centres on the circumstances of the shooting and has proceeded without acceptance of his manslaughter plea. The jury, comprising eight men and four women, entered the deliberation room on 8 July 2014. The case has proceeded before Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan at the Central Criminal Court. Given the involvement of multiple accused and the nature of the firearms offence, the case carries significance for the jurisdiction's handling of serious violent crime involving weapons. The outcome of jury deliberations would determine whether Wynne faces conviction on the more serious murder charge or the alternative manslaughter count to which he has admitted.