Legal argument in the absence of the jury continued at the Central Criminal Court yesterday in the trial of a publican accused of murdering his wife and a toddler in a fire. It was the 21st day of the trial of Mr Francis McCann (36) who has denied the murders of his wife, Esther (36), and 18 month old baby Jessica, at the family home at Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin, on September 4th, 1992.
The prosecution has claimed that Mr McCann arranged the fatal fire because he did not want to tell his wife why the Adoption Board had refused the couple's application to adopt Jessica.
The jury has also heard that Mr McCann, who owned The Cooperage Pub, in Blessington, Co Wicklow, had complained to gardai that he had received threatening phone calls to the pub and his home.