Costa del Sol
Verdict in the McArdle case expected in Málaga today
By h.b.
Oct 7, 2008 - 7:22 AM

The nine person jury in the McArdle case are set to resume their deliberations this morning after they failed to reach an agreement last night.

Under trial in Málaga Provincial Court is the Irishman Michael Dermot McArdle who is accused of throwing his wife Kelly-Anne to her death off a fourth floor hotel balcony in Marbella in 2000.
Jurors left the court at 7,30pm last night to retire to a local hotel after failing to reach a verdict in six hours of deliberation yesterday. Reports indicate a verdict is expected today however.

Judge Fernando González advised the jury yesterday that they were before a ‘highly complex case’ and they should choose between three possible outcomes – not guilty, manslaughter or murder, after state prosecutor Carlos Yañez added the manslaughter option last Friday. That would carry a four year prison term, while murder would take the sentence to 15 years.

If the jurors go for manslaughter they can also suggest a suspended sentence be handed down, although that suggestion is not binding on the judge.