Galway Bay fm newsroom - The Portumna murder trial has been adjourned mid-way, as the defence barrister has been nominated as a judge
58 year old Michael Scott of Gortanumera has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his aunt Christina 'Chrissie' Treacy outside her home in Derryhiney in April, 2018.
It's the prosecution case that Mr Scott deliberately ran over his aunt in an agricultural teleporter following a long-running dispute over land.
The jury has heard it's the defence case that her death was a "tragic accident".
The trial began last week and was originally expected to take more than two months.
Today, Ms Justice Caroline Biggs told the jury that due to the nomination of Mícheál P O'Higgins to the High Court bench, the accused man Michael Scott has lost his lead counsel.
She said that Mr Scott has found an alternative but the new lead counsel will need two weeks to read the papers and take instructions.
The jury agreed to make themselves available until May 31 and to return after the Easter break, if the trial goes beyond the expected time frame.
The trial will resume on February 7th.
