Jury panellist becomes the accused

A jury panellist at Cork Circuit Criminal Court talked himself into becoming an accused person yesterday.

The jury panel had been told the case could take up to three weeks. A number of people asked to be excused as they were about to be sworn in to hear the case — some stating that they knew a witness in the case.

When the turn came for the panellist to be sworn in, he also asked to be excused — saying that he knew someone in the case.