Jury to resume deliberations in Quilligan murder trial in Cork tomorrow

The jury in the Kieran Quilligan murder trial which were sent out to commence their deliberations at 2.22pm today, have not yet reached a decision, and so will resume tomorrow morning at 11am.

At the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Cork, Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford spent the morning summarising from the witnesses who gave evidence in the course of the trial, which is now in its eleventh day at hearing.

The judge also directed the jury on the aspects of law which govern their deliberations.

28-year-old Luke Taylor, formerly of Cherry Lawn, Blackrock, Cork, and 33-year-old Niall Long, formerly of St Michael’s Close, Mahon, Cork, are on trial on the same charge of murder. 

The murder count which each man denies, states that on a date unknown between September 1 2023 and January 29 2024 at an unknown location within the state in the district court area of Cork city he did murder Kieran Quilligan, 47, contrary to Common Law.

Both men denied murder when they were arraigned at the start of the trial.

The defendants are not obliged to give evidence themselves and opted not to testify.

Brendan Grehan, senior counsel for Luke Taylor, did call as a witness Detective Garda Anne O’Sullivan who said that she charged Mr Taylor on February 6 2024 with murdering Kieran Quilligan and that he replied after caution: “Didn’t murder no one.” 

Before the jury began their deliberations this afternoon, the judge told them that they were dealing with two separate trials, the trial of Mr Long and the trial of Mr Taylor, and that a verdict in respect of one could be different to the verdict on the other, if the jury so decided.

Ms Justice Lankford said that all twelve of them must agree on the verdicts and that they could have as much time as they needed.

She said that there were three verdicts open to them in respect of each defendant. 

They can find him guilty of murder, not guilty of murder, or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

They deliberated for almost two hours this afternoon and before being sent home by Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford.