THE JURY IN the trial of a 50-year-old farmer charged with murdering his alleged love rival and hiding his body in an underground tank, will continue deliberating this afternoon.

Patrick Quirke (50) of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Bobby Ryan, a part-time DJ who went by the name of Mr Moonlight.

Ryan went missing on 3 June 2011 after leaving his girlfriend Mary Lowry’s home at about 6.30am. His body was found in an underground run-off tank on the farm owned by Lowry and leased by the accused at Fawnagown, Tipperary 22 months later in April 2013.

The prosecution claims that Quirke murdered Ryan so he could rekindle an affair with Lowry (52), while the defence contends the prosecution has failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, and must acquit.

The jury of six men and six women have been deliberating for almost 10 hours so far, and will resume again this afternoon after pausing for lunch.

The two verdicts open to the jury are: guilty of murder or, alternatively, not guilty.

A short time into their deliberations on Tuesday, the jury sought all of Quirke’s interviews with gardaí as well as phone records, which were handed in.

In her charge to the jury on Tuesday, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon told them that they must not be influenced by emotion, sympathy, anger or disgust, and must treat circumstantial evidence against the accused with care.