THE jury in a trial of a man before Sligo Circuit Court charged with assault causing serious harm is expected to retire to begin their deliberations today (Wednesday). The Prosecution closed its case before Judge Sinead Ní Chúlacháín yesterday evening after the three day trial. The accused is not expected to give evidence this morning with closing speeches from both the prosecution and defence expected to be heard. Michael Corcoran (34), Glendallon, Ballytivnan, Sligo is charged with intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Bernard Smith at St Anne’s Terrace, Sligo on July 23rd 2015. The trial opened before Judge Sinead Ní Chúlacháín at the Circuit Court on Wednesday and continued on Thursday and Tuesday. The jury of six men and six women is expected to begin their deliberations later today. Mr Leo Mulrooney BL with Ms Elisa McHugh (State Solicitor) prosecuted while Mr Des Dockery SC with Mr Eoin McGovern BL instructed by Tony Collier solicitors represented the accused. On Thursday, the trial heard evidence from two of the investigating gardaí. Detective Garda John Kelly of Tuam Garda Station told the court he was based in Sligo in 2015 before being transferred. On the evening of July 23rd 2015 he was on duty in Sligo town. At 7:15pm he was driving the patrol car from Cranmore to Sligo. He was travelling towards town and when passing St Anne’s Church car-park, he saw a man, Bernard Smith, lying on the ground on the footpath. There were two other men standing beside him, John Lynott and Michael Corcoran. He was familiar with the three individuals. Michael Corcoran’s car was parked in the car-park. There was a lot of blood on Mr Smith’s head and there was blood on the footpath. He asked the men what happened. Mr Lynott didn’t reply and the accused said he had fallen. A member of the public said an ambulance was called and gardaí arrived. They were trying to assist Mr Smith and during this time he noticed Mr Lynott had left the scene towards Garavogue Villas on foot. He didn’t see him leaving the scene and he asked members to stay and he got into the patrol car and got up to Mr Lynott and stopped him. He asked him what happened and he was crying, he was extremely upset. He told the garda that the accused had hit Mr Smith on the back of his head with a UFC fingerless glove that may have had an object in it. The garda told Mr Lynott to go into his house and he would be spoken to later. At that point the ambulance services had arrived and were treating Mr Smith. The accused and his car were gone. Dt Gda Kelly stayed at the scene and Mr Smith was taken to hospital. The scene was preserved and the scenes crime officer attended. In cross-examination, Mr Dockery asked Dt Gda Kelly if it was possible Mr Lynott had ran from the scene. Witness said he did not see him leaving the scene. The barrister said if he went into his car to go after him, would it seem like he had panicked and fled and the witness said he wouldn’t say Mr Lynott had panicked. Mr Dockery said he got out of the car and the garda replied he didn’t jump out of the car, he pulled up in the marked car and Mr Lynott stopped once he seen him. There was no issue of him stopping when he pulled up, the garda said. He told the court he was a couple of minutes away from the scene speaking to Mr Lynott. Mr Dockery asked him if he had asked the accused to move his car for the ambulance to attend and he said he didn’t recall. He said he was speaking to Mr Lynott when the ambulance arrived. The barrister put it to the garda if his client had said to him that he was going to Cranmore to get Mr Smith’s brother and the garda said no, he did not know where the accused went. The barrister asked him when he came on the scene if he seen the accused taking a towel from the back of his car to assist and the witness replied there was a towel there but he didn’t know where it came from. The trial heard from retired Detective Garda Joseph Scanlon. He took over as the investigating member in August 2015 after Dt Gda Kelly was transferred. A booklet of photographs was handed in to the jury, the first photograph showed St Anne’s Terrace taken at the time of the scene. There was a white object visible which he said appeared to be a towel. There was a photograph of St Anne’s Church and another one with more distinctive red marks on the ground. There was a similar photograph of blood on the footpath. There was another booklet of photographs of Mr Smith after he came out of hospital. His face was bruised and he had a bruised eye and a mark to the back of his head. Mr Scanlon said he was tasked with locating the accused who had been nominated as a suspect as in his statement, John Lynott had named Michael Corcoran as the person responsible for the assault. Mr Scanlon said he had been in contact with the accused who had supplied him with a mobile number. Eventually on April 3rd 2018 he went to the Woodlands and arrested him. He was brought to Ballymote Garda Station where he was charged with assault causing harm. On the April of 4th 2018 Mr Lynott made contact with the garda and said he wanted to withdraw his statement. Following direction from the Director of Public Prosecutions, the accused was arrested on January 20th 2020 and the charge was upgraded with causing serious harm. He made no reply. In cross-examination from Mr Dockery, witness said no weapon was ever found and the scene was never forensically examined but there were photographs taken. Witness said that when he took over investigating the case in August 2015 he decided on the basis of what Mr Lynott had told Gda Kelly that he wanted to have a word with the accused. The barrister said for two or three weeks after the incident his client was still in Sligo . The witness said that when he kept trying to get the accused he was in London. He said he called to the previous addresses he had and his brother told him he was away. Mr Dockery said he was in London and the witness said he could have come back. The barrister replied he wasn’t charged with anything.