Jury in Stardust inquests reaches majority verdicts

The jury in the Stardust inquests has reached majority verdicts, almost a year after the inquests began into the deaths of the 48 victims of the nightclub fire.  

At Dublin District Coroner’s Court this Wednesday,  the foreman told coroner Dr Myra Cullinane that they would be unable to reach a verdict on which they could all agree - on their eleventh day of deliberations.

The jury has been hearing evidence relating to the circumstances of the deaths of those who lost their lives when fire swept through the Stardust nightclub in the early hours of February 14, 1981.  

Dr Cullinane informed the panel of seven women and five men that the law allowed her to accept a majority verdict in these circumstances, going on to explain that this was a verdict  at least seven or more of the jury agreed upon.  

When the jury returned to the courtroom in the afternoon, Dr Cullinane asked them if they had been able to reach majority verdicts arising out of their findings, to which the jury foreman replied that they had.  

Dr Cullinane said that, because this is not a trial but rather inquests, she wished to defer the announcement of their verdicts and findings to attend to certain administrative matters.

She also said she wished to allow all interested persons and family members to have an opportunity to make arrangements either to attend court or to observe the proceedings online when the verdicts are delivered.  

“You must not on any account discuss your deliberations or your findings and verdicts before you return, as that would undermine the entire process that you’ve been engaged in and in which you’ve been so central and could even amount to a contempt of court,” said Dr Cullinane.  

She told the jury that there is a prohibition or restriction on the disclosure of jury deliberations, which is a permanent restriction that extends beyond the conclusion of these proceedings.  

The jury were told to assemble at 11am on Thursday in the Pillar Room of the Rotunda Hospital, with formalities commencing at 2pm.