Judge tells Cork murder trial it is  'an incredibly delicate time in the case' 

The Doneraile murder trial is now at “an incredibly delicate time in the case”, the trial judge told the jury as they were sent home today after one day of deliberations at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.

Ms Justice Lankford said there was absolutely no question of any juror discussing the case with anyone outside of the jury or of doing any independent research. The judge had been telling the jurors as much since the trial commenced but she said that it was all the more important at this very late stage.

She said there was a time that a deliberating jury, rather than being sent home, would have been sequestered to a hotel before recommencing their work in court so that there would be no risk of ‘contamination’ from outside influences. While that is no longer the practice, the need to be completely independent from any outside interference remains as important as ever, the judge said.

They will resume their deliberations at 10.30am tomorrow morning.

The jury asked if they could see DVDs of the two accused being interviewed by gardaí in order “to assess their demeanour.” 

This question came back from the jury within moments of commencing their deliberations but Ms Justice Lankford told them that the simple answer to that question was, no.

But the judge said: “The two accused have been present every day and you have had an opportunity to observe them in the courtroom.” 

Ms Justice Lankford said they also had copies of the memos of interviews with the two defendants.

In terms of their deliberations, the judge said they had all of the exhibits that were put into evidence in the case including golf clubs, some broken. The judge said that it was a matter for the jury how they arranged themselves and took breaks but that they should only deliberate when they were all in the room together.

They commenced their deliberations at 11.33am today, and allowing for breaks and for lunch, they deliberated for two hours and 39 minutes. The jury was sworn in for the trial on Wednesday June 3 and the trial opened on June 4.

Alex Deady (20) of Glenview, Convent Road, Doneraile, County Cork, and a 17-year-old each face a charge of murdering 44-year-old postman Barry Daly at Rockview Terrace in Doneraile on October 12, 2025. 

Alex Deady and the 17-year-old pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, at the outset of the trial.

Ms Justice Lankford told the jury that the issue they have to decide is whether each defendant is guilty of murder. The jurors were reminded that a simple not guilty verdict is not available to him, as each defendant has already entered a plea of guilty to manslaughter. 

So for the avoidance of doubt they were told that they must decide in each case if the accused is guilty of murder or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

Ms Justice Lankford said that they must be unanimous in their decision on each defendant.

The jury now consists of six women and five men. One juror was thanked for her commitment to the case and discharged from further service on the jury yesterday as she was unable to continue in the trial.

The jury no longer has to consider the case against a third accused. On June 24 the third defendant, who is 16, entered a plea of guilty for the first time, in the following terms: 'Not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter,' and this plea to manslaughter was acceptable to the DPP.