A JUDGE said yesterday there appeared to be "something of a jinx" on a murder trial, after the second failure in two days to put together a 12 member jury to hear the case.
The trial of Mr Frederick Flannery, who is charged with the murder of a man in Cork city two years ago, was due to open at the Central Criminal Court on Monday.
Mr Flannery (35), of no fixed abode, has denied the murder of Mr Denis Patrick O'Driscoll (33) at Wellington Terrace, off Grattan Hill, Lower Glanmire Road, Cork, in December 1994.
A 12 member jury was sworn in on Monday, but the court was told that one juror had work commitments and could not attend a lengthy trial.
A replacement was sworn in yesterday, but the trial still could not proceed as one of the original 11 jurors failed to turn up.
Mr Justice Barr said he regretted the situation and added. "There is something, of a jinx on this particular case.
He said that because of the juror's failure to appear it was not possible to go ahead with the trial. He discharged the jurors and said a new jury would be sworn in next Monday.
