The jury in the trial of a man, accused of raping and sexually assaulting two sisters, will resume its deliberations on Easter Monday after failing to reach a verdict.

The 37-year-old man denies the offences which are alleged to have happened in Louth and Dublin.

Both the accused and the girls can’t be named to protect their identities.

This trial has been ongoing since January and involves sexual assault and rape allegations on dates between December 2010 and March 2011.

The court has heard the accused was a friend of the family when he allegedly assaulted the young girls in Dublin and Louth.

It heard the young sisters were 10-years-old and 12-years-old at the time of the alleged offences in 2010 and 2011.

A teacher of the younger girl told the jury he saw the accused drop her off at school one day and kiss her on the lips which he didn’t feel was appropriate.

He also saw him carrying her into her classroom one day with her arm and legs wrapped around the accused which he found strange.

The older sister alleges she was raped by the accused in Louth and at a hotel in Dublin.

The court heard Gardai called into the hotel room where she was staying with the accused but left after believing nothing untoward was going on.

The girl later told a social worker she believed her mother and grandmother knew about the alleged abuse and she was angry about that.

The jurors have agreed to return on Easter Monday to continue considering their verdict.

If you have been affected by anything mentioned in this article you can contact the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre National 24-Hour helpline on 1800 77 88 88.