The employer of a juror serving in the Kieran Keane murder trial has been summoned before the Central Criminal Court today.
At Cloverhill Courthouse yesterday Mr Justice Carney directed the employer to appear before him after concerns that a juror may be suffering discrimination.
In an implicit threat to jail employers who did not comply with the law requiring citizens to do jury duty, Mr Justice Carney said: "If an employer is being any way recalcitrant, I can keep him where we are over Christmas."
He said that under the 1976 Juries Act, employers had a statutory obligation to support employees serving on juries. He had information that could indicate a juror was being discriminated against. He warned that employers were required to ensure that no employee suffered loss of income because of jury service.
In evidence, the jury heard that one of the five accused, Mr Christopher Costelloe, told gardaí he was in a house watching a soccer match on the night of the murder.
Det Garda Gerard Healy, Mayorstone Garda station, said he questioned Mr Costelloe on March 21st last about his movements on January 29th, the night Mr Keane was shot dead and his nephew, Mr Owen Treacy, was stabbed.
Det Garda Healy told the court that Mr Costelloe claimed that on the night of the murder he was in Mr Pa McCarthy's house on College Road watching a match with Mr James McCarthy and Mr Pa McCarthy's girlfriend.
Five men have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Keane and the attempted murder of Mr Owen Treacy (31) last January 29th.