Courts / Dublin / Report
Jury fail to reach verdict in Detective Garda Colm Horkan murder trial
Summary
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has been unable to reach a verdict in the trial of Stephen Silver concerning the death of Detective Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. Mr Silver accepts that he discharged the detective's own firearm eleven times but denies the charge of murder. The defence argued that Mr Silver should be found guilty of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility, citing evidence that he was suffering from bipolar affective disorder at the time. The jury of seven men and five women deliberated for just under nine hours over three days before reporting they could not reach agreement. Mr Justice Paul McDermott remanded Mr Silver in custody pending a retrial, with the case listed for 9 December at the Central Criminal Court. The judge thanked the jury for their careful consideration of what he described as a deeply difficult and disturbing case. Stephen Silver was acquitted.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jury fail to reach verdict in Detective Garda Colm Horkan murder trial. Charges or matters: the murder of Det Garda Horkan knowing or being reckless as to whether he was a member of An Garda Siochana acting in accordance with his duty; manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, at Castlerea, Co. Procedural stage: finding. Findings: Acquitted
When:
- December 9 Adjournment
- 17 June 2020 Other
- September 2019 Incident
- 2022-11-17 Publication
Why: If there is other evidence that conflicts or outweighs it or leads you to feel it is not reliable, you are entitled to act on that basis because you are the judges of fact and are entitled to consider the evidence as a whole. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: the murder of Det Garda Horkan knowing or being reckless as to whether he was a member of An Garda Siochana acting in accordance with his duty; manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, at Castlerea, Co (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Acquitted
Outcome: Acquitted; The accused has been remanded in custody to that date.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Knockroe estate
- Castlerea
- Central Mental Hospital
- Mountjoy
- Mountjoy prison
Topics
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