THE jurors in the trial of Mr Brendan O'Donnell were sent home yesterday after legal issues had been discussed in their absence.
Mr Justice Lavan told the six men and six women that "very serious" matters had been discussed, as a result of which the trial could not proceed yesterday. He asked them to return to court his afternoon.
The trial had been due to resume at 11 a.m. but the jurors were kept in their room for 90 minutes while legal issues were discussed by counsel and the judge.
At 12.30 pm the judge called the jurors and told them to return, to court today at 2 p.m.
The adjournment came on the eighth day of the trial of Mr Brendan Patrick O'Donnell (21), a native of Co Clare but of no fixed abode, who has denied the murder of three people in the west of Ireland in 1994.
He has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Imelda Riney (29), and her son Liam (3) on a date unknown between April 28th and May 8th, 1994. He has also denied the murder of Father Joe Walsh (37), the curate of Eyrecourt, Co Galway, between May 3rd and 8th, 1994 and denied falsely imprisoning Father Walsh.
He has also denied kidnapping Ms Fiona Sampson and Mr Edward Cleary on May 7th, 1994 denied hijacking vehicles driven by them and denied having a shotgun and ammunition with intent to endanger life and for unlawful purposes on the same date.
The trial had been adjourned early on Tuesday after the defence had informed Mr Justice Lavan, on medical advice, that Mr O'Donnell was unwell.