Courts

Stardust jury seek legal guidance after second day of deliberations

Jurors pose three questions relating to nightclub’s ceiling, predetermined questionnaire and verdict methodology

A family member touches her Stardust lapel pin outside the Dublin Coroner's Court on March 28th, 2024. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Ryan Dunne
Thu Apr 4 2024 - 18:15

The second day of deliberations by the Stardust inquest jury concluded on Thursday with the jurors seeking legal guidance on several matters that they must consider before returning their verdicts on the deaths of the 48 victims.

At the end of proceedings in the Dublin District Coroner’s Court, coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said that the jury had asked a number of questions.

The first question related to question four of the general questionnaire, with which the jury had been presented at the start of their deliberations, in which reference was made to factors contributing to the spread of the fire. The jury asked whether they were expected to answer yes to this, even if the factor was not significant and only minor.

Dr Cullinane said that the jury went on to give their own example in relation to this, such as, if the ceiling of the building had been higher, the fire may not have spread as quickly. She said that the jury were highlighting that for the purpose of this question, the ceiling in any building would always be of some factor in a fire, but they were asking if question four of the questionnaire was focusing on a design flaw.

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Evidence was previously heard during the inquest that the ceiling in the west alcove of the Stardust, where the fire was first seen by patrons inside the premises, was lower than the statutory height for such buildings. An expert witness, fire investigator Dr Will Hutchinson, gave evidence that the low ceiling intensifying the downwards heat was a contributing factor to the spread of the fire.

The next question asked by the jury was whether there was a methodology in answering the questions and arriving at a verdict. Dr Cullinane said that the jury were asking how this questionnaire would be utilised by the court and whether it could be used in subsequent legal cases.

In their final question, the jury said that the predetermined general questionnaire has very specific yes/no answers, and they asked how the questionnaire was designed and why some matters were addressed and not others.

Dr Cullinane said she would discharge the jury for the day and resume proceedings in the Pillar Room of the Rotunda Hospital on Friday.

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