UPDATE: A Ballarat jury has been discharged after it could not reach a majority verdict in the trial of Lorraine Nicholson.
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The 65-year-old woman stood trial over a two-car crash at a Navarre intersection on May 5, 2018, which killed four women on their way home from a St Arnaud line-dancing event.
The jury had found Nicholson not guilty of four counts of culpable driving causing death but could not reach a majority verdict on four alternative charges of dangerous driving causing death.
Judge Michael Bourke allowed the jury of nine women and three men to reach a majority verdict of 11 votes on the dangerous driving causing death charges.
The jury had deliberated for three hours before reaching the not guilty verdicts on Wednesday afternoon, and a further hour of deliberations on Thursday morning before they were discharged.
The victims' family members and Nicholson declined to comment to The Courier outside court. Nicholson's defence counsel also declined to comment.
The case has been adjourned to a directions hearing with a re-trial of the dangerous driving causing death charges expected to be held in June.
The seven-day trial was held at the County Court at Ballarat before Judge Michael Bourke.
EARLIER: A jury has been directed to return a majority verdict of 11 in the trial of a woman accused of causing the deaths of four people after a crash at Navarre.
On Thursday morning, the jury of nine women and three men indicated they could not reach a majority verdict on four alternative charges of dangerous driving causing death.
Judge Michael Bourke said he would allow the jury to give a majority verdict.
"If you can't all agree, I will accept a verdict agreed on by 11 of you," Judge Bourke said.
On Wednesday afternoon, the jury found Lorraine Nicholson not guilty of four counts of culpable driving causing death.
EARLIER COVERAGE
- Day 1: Defence says woman 'missed the brake' to cause Navarre quadruple fatal
- Day 2: Major Collision Investigation Unit police officer says road conditions were dry and it was daylight
- Day 3: Witnesses to fatal crash heard 'the loudest bang'
- Day 4: First police on the scene said Navarre fatal cars both had 'major damage'
- Day 5: Navarre fatal accused tells of the 'devastating' moment of impact
- Day 6: Prosecutors call driver's evidence 'fanciful, belated, guesswork'
- Day 7: Jury returns one verdict in Navarre quadruple fatality trial
The jury returned with the verdicts at 4.35pm after deliberating for three hours.
Nicholson, 65, had pleaded not guilty to four charges of culpable driving causing death and the alternative four charges of dangerous driving causing death.
The accused woman's Jeep T-boned a Kia driven by Elaine Middleton and carrying passengers Margaret Ely, Dianne Barr and Claudia Jackson, aged 64 to 75, at Stawell-Avoca Road and Ararat-St Arnaud Road at 6pm on May 5, 2018.
The four women, who were returning home from a line-dancing competition in St Arnaud, died from their injuries.
The jury will continue deliberating at the County Court in Ballarat.
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