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Jury in Deirdre Morley trial given majority verdict option
Summary
In the trial of Deirdre Morley, accused of murdering her three children, the jury was informed by Mr Justice Paul Coffey that they could deliver a majority verdict if ten of the twelve jurors agreed. The foreman noted they had further questions to raise later that day. The jury had spent over three hours deliberating since the previous day. They had earlier requested clarification on the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Mr Justice Coffey explained that Ms Morley admitted to the acts that caused her children's deaths, but her defence argued she should not be held responsible due to insanity. He outlined the criteria for a special verdict: the jury must be satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Ms Morley was suffering from a mental disorder at the time, that she did not know the nature or wrongness of her acts, or was unable to refrain from them.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jury in Deirdre Morley trial given majority verdict option. Procedural stage: finding. Findings: Not guilty by reason of insanity
When:
- January 24 Other
- 2021-05-20 Publication
Case subjects
Accused
Finding: Not guilty by reason of insanity
Outcome: Not guilty by reason of insanity
Places mentioned
Topics
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