Galway Bay fm newsroom - The jury in the trial of a Portumna farmer accused of murdering his aunt will return to court today for their fourth day of deliberations.
58 year old Michael Scott, of Gortanumera, Portumna, Co Galway denies murdering his 76-year-old aunt by driving over her in an agricultural teleporter.
Mr Scott has pleaded not guilty to murdering Chrissie Treacy outside her home in Derryhiney on April 27th, 2018.
Ms Justice Caroline Biggs previously told the jury that there is no doubt that Mr Scott was the cause of his aunt's death.
But for a murder verdict the jury must be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to kill or cause serious injury to her.
If that is not agreed, then the jury must acquit him of murder, and consider a manslaughter verdict - for this the jury must be satisfied Mr Scott acted in a "grossly negligent" way.
If the prosecution has failed to prove murder or manslaughter to the required standard, Ms Justice Biggs said the jury must acquit.
The trial has heard that Mr Scott was reversing the teleporter across the yard outside Ms Treacy's home when he felt a "thump", and then saw Ms Treacy lying on the ground.
He and his aunt shared 140 acres of prime farmland in Derryhiney - He farmed the whole lot but a lease arrangement was in place for her portion of the land.
On the day that Ms Treacy died, Mr Scott was due to get a letter outlining Chrissie’s intention to apply for a single farm payment for her share of the farm.
It is the prosecution’s case that Mr Scott deliberately ran over his aunt after receiving this letter, while the defence claims it was a tragic farming accident.
