A suspected criminal's absconsion and a lawyer catching Covid were included in a combination of circumstances that saw the collapse of court cases requiring a jury in Whanganui this week.
A potential pool of jurors gathered at the courthouse on Monday with the anticipation they could be selected to play their part in the justice process in one of the three trials expected to take place.
However, on Tuesday morning after patiently waiting for proceedings to begin, Judge Bruce Northwood called them in to tell them their duty was done before it began.
A defendant accused of sex crimes against a young girl was the first trial expected to start on Monday but he failed to show up so a warrant for his arrest was issued, Judge Northwood told the packed courtroom.