THE JURY in the trial of three Englishmen charged in connection with the largest ever drugs seizure in the history of the State will resume its deliberations this morning after being sent to a hotel last night following a day considering the evidence.
Judge Seán Ó Donnabhain sent the nine men and two women to a hotel in Cork city last night after they spent just under five hours considering the evidence in the trial of Martin Wanden (45), Perry Wharrie (48) and Joe Daly (41) at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
The jury began its deliberations at 10.57am yesterday, and following a break for lunch the 11 jurors were brought back out by Judge Ó Donnabhain at 5.19pm when he told them to suspend their deliberations for the day and asked them to resume this morning at 10.30am.
Mr Wanden, of no fixed abode, Mr Wharrie of Pyrles Lane, Loughton, Essex, and Mr Daly of Carrisbrooke Ave, Bexley, Kent, deny a total of three charges including possessing cocaine valued at €440 million for sale or supply at Dunlough Bay, Mizen Head, on July 2nd, 2007.
Addressing the jury yesterday morning, Judge Ó Donnabhain reminded the jurors that they would be the sole judges of fact in the case and they could take as long as they wished with their deliberations on what they had heard during the past 41 days.
"Whether the accused or any of them are involved is a matter for you. You are the only judges of the facts . . . it's up to you to look at the various matters, the strands of the prosecution case and see whether they strengthen up and are reliable or whether they break," he said.
Judge Ó Donnabhain told the jury that they had to reach a decision on each of the three accused and on each of the three charges and he reminded them that their decisions had to be unanimous.