Free flu vaccinations have been offered to the jury in the trial of five Limerick men accused of murdering Kieran Keane.
Mr Justice Carney said the Central Criminal Court must "nurture and cherish" the jury and it cannot be allowed fall below a certain number.
A doctor will attend Clover Hill courthouse next Tuesday to vaccinate the judge, the registrar and the jurors, should they decide to accept the vaccination, the uptake of which is voluntary.
The vaccination offer came as one juror suffered a bereavement and cannot attend court on Friday. The judge said he is not going to discharge the jury and to facilitate the juror, the courtwill not sit on Friday.
The chief witness in the case, Owen Treacy, continued his cross examination today. He told the jury he watched his uncle Kieran Keane "being pushed to the ground like a dog and shot like a dog with his hands tied behind his back".
He alleged that the accused Christoper "Smokie" Costelloe cut his throat with a knife before another accused, David "Frogs Eyes" Stanners "grabbed the knife" and began stabbing Mr Treacy.
Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC, representing Desmond Dundon, put it to the witness that the deceased suffered a cluster of six stab wounds to the left side of the head. He said the pathologist's evidence will be that these wounds suggested they were inflicted for reasons of "torture" and were not intended to be fatal.
He asked the witness why he made no mention of the stabbing of Kieran Keane. "Can you explain?" asked counsel. "I cannot, my lord" Mr Treacy replied.
The five accused have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Kieran Keane (36) of Garryowen House, Garryowen, Limerick on 29th January last at Drombana, Bushy Island, Limerick and to falsely imprisoning Mr Keane on the same date. They also deny the attempted murder of Owen Treacy (31) of St Munchin's Street, St Mary's Park, Limerick on 29th January 2003 at Drombana and to falsely imprisoning him on the same date.
They are: David "Frogs Eyes" Stanners (31) of Pineview Gardens, Moyross; Desmond Dundon (20) of Hyde Road, Limerick; Anthony "Noddy" McCarthy (21) of Fairgreen, Garryowen; Christopher "Smokie" Costelloe (20) of Moylish Avenur, Ballynanty Beg and James McCarthy (24) of Delmege Park, Moyross.