The trial of a man accused of shooting another man in Dublin has collapsed after the victim refused to be cross-examined.
Mr Daniel Doyle (26), who was left paralysed from the waist down after he was shot in Crumlin in 2005, said he would be killed if he testified against Paul Hurley (19), who denies attempting to murder him.
After refusing to answer questions put to him by defence counsel at the Central Criminal Court yesterday, Mr Doyle was warned by Judge Carney that the only reason he wasn't spending the night in a cell was because he was in a wheelchair.
When Mr Doyle continued to refuse to answer questions when the case resumed this morning, Mr Justice Paul Carney instructed the jury to acquit Mr Hurley of attempting to murder Mr Doyle.
Judge Carney said when the principal witness refused to be cross-examined the trial could not proceed in accordance with the law.