The jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering Detective Garda Colm Horkan in Castlerea, Co Roscommon two years ago has retired to consider a verdict.
Stephen Silver, of Aughavard, Foxford, Co Mayo, denies murdering the detective in June 2020, but admits manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
It took the judge a number of days to sum up the evidence heard during this trial and direct the jurors on the various legal principles at play.
Once that was done, he asked them to begin their deliberations just before 12pm.
There are four verdicts open to the jurors.
Capital murder, murder, manslaughter, or manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
At the outset of his trial, Stephen Silver pleaded NOT guilty to capital murder but guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
Extensive evidence was heard in relation to his psychiatric history and he claims he was suffering a relapse of bipolar affective disorder when he shot Det Colm Horan.
His plea wasn’t accepted and the prosecution called their own expert, who was of the view that he had “significant functional mental capacity” at the time.
It has now been left to the jurors to decide.
