Jury retires in Dublin AIDS patient murder trial

A jury will resume its deliberations tomorrow in the trial of a man accused of murdering an AIDS patient who was stabbed to death…

A jury will resume its deliberations tomorrow in the trial of a man accused of murdering an AIDS patient who was stabbed to death in his hospital bed.

The jury spent last night in a hotel after more than two hours deliberating in the trial of Mr Patrick Gilraine (50) of Basin Street, Dublin 8.

Mr Patrick Gilraine (otherwise known as Kilraine) has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Kevin Dowler (52) at St James's Hospital, Dublin on February 7th, 2000.

The jury has heard evidence over four days at the Central Criminal Court that Mr Gilraine walked into the hospital and stabbed Mr Dowler seven times, causing fatal injuries to his lungs and liver.

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Mr Gilraine claimed his victim was a paedophile and that he "had to do it" to "save other kids".

In his direct evidence he said he never meant to kill him and intended to harm him to keep him in hospital. "I went about it the wrong way," he said. Mr Gilraine was a friend of the deceased and lived close to him in the Basin Street flats area.