Jury set to decide in Shropshire barracks murder trial

The 11 jurors listened to three weeks of evidence at Birmingham Crown Court in the trial of Lance Corporal Richard Farrell who has denied murdering Corporal Geoffey McNeill in the early hours of March 8 at the Clive Barracks in Tern Hill, Market Drayton.

The jury has heard from many witnesses including soldiers, locals, medical experts and Farrell himself during the trial and has also seen numerous CCTV clips.

The prosecution say that Farrell attacked Cpl McNeill at the barracks after he had been punched by him at the Sandbrook Vaults pub on Shropshire Street.

They say Cpl McNeill was beaten, suffering serious blows to the head, stomach and genitals. The main cause of his death was pressure to the neck in which three bones were broken in the attack.

There has been no dispute that Cpl McNeill was killed unlawfully that night, but Farrell has always denied it was him.

Farrell says he does not remember the night after leaving the Sandbrook Vaults and can not account for his whereabouts during the time when Cpl McNeill was killed.

But he told a jury he would have a feeling if he had killed Cpl McNeill and would know.

It was Farrell that discovered Cpl McNeill's body at about 9am on the morning of March 8 after waking up hungover in the guardroom on the camp, and he says he tried to administer CPR.

Judge Melbourne Inman QC yesterday told the jury: "You have sat patiently listening to evidence and it is for you to make your decisions on the facts.

"I am going to ask you to consider your verdict."

Judge Inman said there were three verdicts that could be returned; guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter or not guilty.

By the end of the court session yesterday the jury had failed to reach its verdict and they will continue deliberations on Monday.