Posted online: Oct 30th, 2008

A 25-year-old motor-cyclist accused of causing the deaths of three people in a road accident faces a new trial.
A jury last Thursday told Donegal Circuit Court they had failed to reach a verdict after four hours and 25 minutes deliberation at the end of six days in the trial of Niall McGrath.
The jury told Judge Raymond Fullam there was no prospect of them even reaching a majority verdict.
The case was adjourned to the next sitting of the Circuit Court in Donegal town on December 16th and McGrath was remanded on continuing bail.
Earlier he was acquitted of one of the four charges against him.
The judge told the jury of eight men and four women he was withdrawing from them a charge of reckless endangerment against McGrath.
The prosecution alleged that McGrath drove his Suzuki motobrike dangerously and caused the deaths of carpenter Damien Quigg, his wife Teresa and 74-year-old Nora McGee.
McGrath, of Grahamstown, Ballintra, Co. Donegal, pleaded not guilty to committing the offences on the N15 at Ballinacarrick, Ballintra, on September 11th, 2005.
The prosecution claimed that a multi-vehicle pile-up was triggered by the manner of McGrath’s driving when his bike was in collision with a car driving in the opposite direction on the road between Ballyshannon and Donegal.
Mr and Mrs Quigg, both aged 49 and from Dungiven, Co. Derry, and Mrs McGee, from Gortahork, Co. Donegal, were all pronounced dead at the scene.
The trial heard that the drivers of the vehicles carrying the people who died were entirely blameless for the accident.

(Reporter: Paddy Clancy)