A 26-year-old woman has failed to turn up at court where she was due to go on trial for murder.
Una Black was due in court over the murder of John Malone at Walter Macken flats in Mervue in Galway city in December 2006.
Mr Justice Paul Carney issued a final warning to Ms Black to turn up in court.
This is the second time since the foundation of the State that the Central Criminal Court is sitting in Galway.
But judge and jury waited three days for the accused to show up for her murder trial. This morning evidence was heard in court for the first time.
Superintendent PJ Durkin told the court that Una Black had travelled to Wales late on Monday and was due to return by ferry yesterday afternoon. A ticket had been booked for her but she failed to show.
Mr Justice Paul Carney told the mother of the accused, Geraldine Black, that she had frustrated the course of justice by busily feeding everyone information about the events of previous days.
He said that elaborate arrangements had been put in place to ensure that neither the jury nor the public would know what had been happening in order not to prejudice the trial.
Geraldine Black nodded tearfully saying she had been worried about her daughter and her baby. She said: 'I'm sorry, Judge. I'm very sorry, Judge.'
Judge Carney said it was a matter for the DPP if he wanted to take the matter further as a result of this abuse of due process.
The judge then discharged the jury and said the trial would now move to Dublin. The court will reconvene tomorrow morning at 11am.
