Jury begins deliberations on Terenure manslaughter trial

By Sonya McLean

The jury in the trial of a man for the unlawful killing of a kitchen porter during a house fire has begun deliberations.

Dean Boland (34) had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the unlawful killing of Ohari Viera, damaging property by arson and burglary and theft at Oaklands Terrace, Terenure, Dublin, on August 21, 2018.

Mr Boland of Northwood, Santry, allegedly broke into the house where Mr Viera was living, stole a rucksack and set fire to the property.

Mr Viera re-entered the property before the arrival of emergency services and later died of cardiac arrest in hospital.

The jury began deliberations just before lunchtime.

It had deliberated for approximately two hours when Judge Elma Sheahan sent jurors home for the night to resume deliberations on Thursday morning.

Seamus Clarke SC, prosecuting, previously told the jury that this was a case of “involuntary manslaughter” in that the death of Mr Viera “occurred because of the arson”.

Forensic examiner Paul Collins told the trial that it is his view that the fire in the ground floor apartment of the house started as a consequence of a “deliberate act”.

He said he examined the apartment the following day, and it was his opinion that the fire could not have started accidentally.

Mr Collins agreed with Garret Baker SC, defending, that while he can’t say what started the fire, he is confident he identified the location where it began.

Mr Collins said that it is his view that human input started the fire, though he can’t say its nature.

Mr Baker told the jury in his closing speech that there was “a massive gaping hole” in the evidence of the prosecution “as they cannot tell you how Mr Boland set fire to the house”.

He suggested that the jury need to know how the fire started to determine if his client intentionally or recklessly started the fire.