New jury to be chosen for Paschal Carmody trial

A JUDGE is to enlist a new jury in the trial next Tuesday of Paschal Carmody, who denies defrauding family relatives of cancer patients of more than €30,000.

At Ennis Circuit Court yesterday, Judge Donagh McDonagh said he would enlist a new jury after discharging the jury that had been called to hear the trial at the court on Tuesday last.

The judge discharged the jury after excusing two of its members, reducing the number from 12 to 10.

He had called back 25 members of the jury panel yesterday to replace one juror who was excused on Wednesday. However, yesterday, a second juror told the judge he could not sit for the duration of the trial and was excused, prompting the judge to discharge the entire jury.

Before the jury panel on Tuesday, Mr Carmody (62) of Ballycuggeran, Killaloe, Co Clare, pleaded not guilty to 11 charges of defrauding family members of three cancer patients of €30,854 at the East Clinic in Killaloe in 2001-2002.

The charges state that Mr Carmody pretended the patients would be cured of cancer through receiving photodynamic therapy at the clinic.

Judge McDonagh told the jury panel yesterday he had the consent of all parties for the course he was taking in calling a new jury.

He said: “It is the appropriate course to take and is being done properly. I want to be fair to everyone in the trial process.” The judge told the outstanding 10 members of the jury that they could return to court next Tuesday to be part of the jury panel.