A jury in the trial of a former personal assistant of U2 bass guitarist Adam Clayton who is accused of stealing nearly €3 million from him will resume its deliberations today. The jury deliberated for two hours yesterday before breaking for the night.
Carol Hawkins (48), of Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin, pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 181 counts of theft from two of Mr Clayton’s Bank of Ireland accounts. The prosecution told the jury Ms Hawkins went on a “veritable orgy of spending” with her employer’s money and “proceeded like a whirlwind down Fifth Avenue and Bond Street”.
Ken Fogarty SC, defending, told the jury the defence would not be going into any evidence.
Judge Pat McCartan warned the jury this did not mean it should “close down their shutters and think the accused is surrendering”, added there was “no onus on the accused to give evidence”. Jury members had to be satisfied what Ms Hawkins is alleged to have done “was done dishonestly, and done without the consent of Adam Clayton”.