Courts / Louth / Report

Jury deliberating in trial of woman accused of murdering partner

Summary

The jury in the trial of Paula Farrell, 47, accused of murdering her boyfriend Wayne McQuillan, 30, at her Drogheda home on New Year's Day 2014, has paused deliberations for the weekend and will return to the Central Criminal Court on Monday. The jury spent 2 hours 39 minutes considering a verdict when Judge Paul McDermott instructed them to suspend deliberations. The prosecution has called the sexual assault allegation an "outrageous lie" and maintains that Farrell intended to cause serious injury by stabbing McQuillan four times with a knife. Farrell pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. She testified that McQuillan had tried to have sex with her and had strangled her before she stabbed him, claiming she only remembered two of the four stabs.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jury deliberating in trial of woman accused of murdering partner. Charges or matters: murder but guilty to manslaughter for the unlawful killing of Wayne 'Quilly' McQuillan (30) at Ms Farrell's home on New Year's Day 2014. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• New Year's Day 2014 Other
• 2020-03-27 Publication

Why: Jurors sat spread out across the court room, rather than just in the jury box, in order to maintain the recommended social distancing during the trial. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report