The jury in the trial of a Cahir man accused of shooting dead Shane Rossiter are expected to be sent out next week to consider their verdict.
The jury in the trial of a Cahir man accused of shooting dead Shane Rossiter are expected to be sent out next week to consider their verdict.
31 year old Maurice Power of Dranganbeg, Kilmoyler denies murdering the 29 year old outside a house party in Golden in October 2012.
Closing arguments in the case were heard today during which the prosecution told he jury they could “happily convict” the 31 year old as the evidence is “compelling”.
Prosecuting council Anthony Sammon reminded the jury that the case involves both circumstantial and confessional evidence.
He referred to Mr Power’s car seen “burning in a bog” and in relation to the CCTV camera, the Senior Council questioned why the accused would ask the homeowner for its chip.
Mr Sammon also pointed out that the 31 year old made a very detailed confession to gardai in which circumstantial evidence was backed up and reminded the jury of his reference to shooting Shane Rossiter twice.
He concluded by stating that Maurice Power was a man very relieved as he no longer has to look over his shoulder because there’s no Mr Rossiter.
Meanwhile Defence Council Dominic McGinn stated that just because the jury saw the seventh interview where Mr Power admitted to shooting Shane Rossiter does not make it reliable.
Mr McGinn went on to say that there was a pattern in the process of interview between gardai and the accused where before the interview; the interviewers would take Mr Power into the yard for a chat.”
He also told the jury that the details the accused gave to gardai of where Mr Rossiter was shot were not in keeping with the evidence of the state pathologist and asked them to consider why the gun couldn’t be recovered.
The defence council then pointed out that there was no direct evidence apart from the confession that Mr Power did the shooting himself.” and concluded asking jury members whether based on the confession made against a background of consistent off camera contact with gardai that if the 31 year old accused were your son, father, brother or close friend, would they would be happy to see him convicted.
The jury of seven women and five men will return next Tuesday to begin deliberating following the judges charge by Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy presiding.