Start to fishmonger’s murder trial is deferred

A jury has been asked to return to the Central Criminal Court on March 30th for a fishmonger’s murder trial which had been scheduled to get under way last Friday.

Fish monger Edmundas Dauksa (50), of Castletown Road in Dundalk, Co Louth, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his partner Ingrida Maciokaite (31) at Bridgewater Mews, Linenhall Street, Dundalk, Co Louth on September 18th, 2018.

Last Friday Ms Justice Eileen Creedon told the jury of five men and seven women that, as they know, there are ‘matters concerning health’ currently in the community and people are being asked to minimise their interactions over the next fortnight.

The judge said as a consequence of these circumstances, and out of an abundance of caution, she was asking the jury to return to the court on Monday, March 30th, when the trial will commence.

She added that ‘obviously things might change’ between today and March 30th but she told the jurors that the registrar has the jurors’ contact details and any changes will be communicated to them.

Ms Justice Creedon told the jury that the trial is not expected to last any longer than two weeks. After asking the jurors if any of them would have any difficulties sitting for two weeks from March 30th, one man indicated that he may have a problem with April 5th.

The judge then told the jury that they will reconvene on March 30th. ‘ Thank you very much,’ she told the jurors.

On Monday, as Mr Justice Paul McDermott empanelled the jury, he told the jurors that the facts alleged include that Mr Dauksa was in a relationship with the deceased and that the matter before the court arose out of ‘some disagreements between them’.

He said the accused and Ms Maciokaite are Lithuanian and were living in Dundalk where Mr Dauksa had a business selling shellfish. A number of witnesses in the trial, he said, will come from that community. He asked anyone with knowledge of events at Bridgewater Mews on the date in question to bring it to his attention as they would not be allowed to sit on the jury.