A jury has failed to reach a verdict in the trial of a man accused of murdering his nephew’s friend at his home in Waterford.

Tadhg Butler of Seafield in Tramore claimed he accidentally stabbed Michael O’Dwyer in the chest in January 2014.

He told the court it happened while he was trying to take a knife off his nephew who was threatening to self-harm.

His nephew told Gardaí his uncle simply walked up to his friend without saying a word and stabbed him in the chest.

The jury was discharged after six hours of deliberations.

The case will be mentioned before the Central Criminal Court again next month.