Judge amazed as six trials due to be heard fall without a word of evidence

In his 10 years presiding over trials at Limerick Circuit Court, Judge Carroll Moran said yesterday he had never encountered the situation which has arisen this week, when all six trials listed were disposed of, without a word of evidence.

Five of the cases, he said, did not proceed because the defendants pleaded guilty, and the sixth fell when the prosecution decided not to proceed with the State case.

Addressing 10 men and two women who had been sworn in as a jury on Wednesday for a trial set to start yesterday, Judge Moran told them there had been a development and the accused had changed his plea to guilty.