Galway Bay fm newsroom – The jury in the trial of a Portumna farmer accused of murdering his aunt will return to court today for their fourth day of deliberations.

58 year old Michael Scott, of Gortanumera, Portumna, Co Galway denies murdering his 76-year-old aunt by driving over her in an agricultural teleporter.

Mr Scott has pleaded not guilty to murdering Chrissie Treacy outside her home in Derryhiney on April 27th, 2018.

Ms Justice Caroline Biggs previously told the jury that there is no doubt that Mr Scott was the cause of his aunt’s death.

But for a murder verdict the jury must be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to kill or cause serious injury to her.

If that is not agreed, then the jury must acquit him of murder, and consider a manslaughter verdict – for this the jury must be satisfied Mr Scott acted in a “grossly negligent” way.

If the prosecution has failed to prove murder or manslaughter to the required standard, Ms Justice Biggs said the jury must acquit.

The trial has heard that Mr Scott was reversing the teleporter across the yard outside Ms Treacy’s home when he felt a “thump”, and then saw Ms Treacy lying on the ground.

He and his aunt shared 140 acres of prime farmland in Derryhiney – He farmed the whole lot but a lease arrangement was in place for her portion of the land.

On the day that Ms Treacy died, Mr Scott was due to get a letter outlining Chrissie’s intention to apply for a single farm payment for her share of the farm.

It is the prosecution’s case that Mr Scott deliberately ran over his aunt after receiving this letter, while the defence claims it was a tragic farming accident.

Galway Bay fm newsroom – There’s been a fall in house prices across Galway city and county since the start of the year.

In the city, they’ve fallen by €5,000, or one percent, in the first three months of the year, while in the county they fell by just €1,000.

Nationally, the 0.3 percent fall marks the first time there’s been a decrease in prices in a decade, according to the latest Daft.ie House Price Report

The number of homes available to buy at the beginning of March stood at just 13,000 – up 30 per cent on the same date last year but still below the 2019 average of 24,200.

CEO of the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers Pat Davitt says the latest figures point to the possibility of prices levelling off.

Galway Bay fm newsroom – Protestors turned out in Oranmore last evening at a public information meeting on the planned Galway to Athlone Cycleway.

The 205km route will take in Oranmore, Renville, Clarinbridge, Kilcolgan, Kinvara, Gort, Woodford, Portumna, Meelick, Clonfert, Ballinasloe, Shannonbridge and Athlone Castle.

But while protestors from communities across the county are not against the cycleway in principle, they argue some elements of the preferred route are inappropriate in their areas.

It’s expected a planning application for the ambitious project will be lodged with An Bord Pleanala sometime in 2024.

These people are very concerned about the potential impact on Kilcaiman Bay in South Galway.