The jury in the trial of a Dublin man accused of putting his fist through a Claude Monet painting has been told it can return a majority verdict.
Andrew Shannon (48) of Willans Way, Ongar denies criminally damaging the canvas at the National Gallery on June 29th last year.
He is accused of putting a hole in the 1874 Monet painting 'Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sailboat'.
The art work is valued at €10 million.
The prosecution alleges it was torn by a deliberate act of vandalism at the National Gallery.
Lawyers for Mr. Shannon say his heart condition caused him to feel faint and “collapse” against the painting.
After 4 and a half hours of deliberations spread over yesterday and today, the jury has now been offered the option of returning a majority verdict.
That means that at least 10 jurors can reach a conclusion that Andrew Shannon is either guilty or not guilty of criminal damage.
