'Clearly asleep': Snoring juror booted from months-long Sydney murder trial

A Sydney juror has been dismissed from a months-long Sydney murder trial after falling asleep and snoring during the hearing's final stages. Photo / Getty

A Sydney juror has been dismissed from a months-long Sydney murder trial after falling asleep and snoring during the hearing's final stages.

The woman was one of 15 members on an extended jury hearing allegations that a hitman contracted by a Sydney drug gang ended up killing a bystander in a Guilford home in February 2017.

While the prosecution case was coming to its conclusion, Justice Peter Hamill's attention was suddenly drawn to the jurors, where he noticed the woman was snoring and "clearly asleep for some period of time".

"I made those observations because the fact of their somnolence was brought to my attention by members of my staff," he said.

"Yesterday, members of my staff again drew my attention to the juror and each of them could not only see that they appeared to be asleep, but were of the view that they could hear them snoring."

The Supreme Court judge couldn't hear the snoring but was made aware of the issue.

The judge said the woman had fallen asleep on at least four separate occasions during evidence in which police investigators were cross-examined.

"The juror's inability to remain awake ... caused me to conclude that there is a reason affecting the juror's ability to perform the functions of a juror," Hamill said.

After being told she was being dismissed, she revealed she had a medical problem which gives her drowsiness.

"It should be recorded, without reference to private information, that the juror was diligent and attentive until the last week or so of the trial, and their inability to remain awake was understandable and beyond their control," Hamill said.

The hitman, Ying Cheng Luo, and his associates Jaiyu Liu and Ian Fan, were all found guilty of murdering Chinese national Qin Wu.

They face sentencing on March 19.