The trial of Mrs Catherine Nevin was adjourned until Monday after she was taken to hospital yesterday morning.
Mrs Nevin (49) is on trial in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, accused of the murder of her husband Tom at Jack White's Inn, near Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow, on March 19th, 1996.
Mrs Nevin had been due to return to court yesterday at 11 a.m. to continue her evidence but, instead, her solicitor, Mr Garrett Sheehan, informed the judge that his client was in St James's Hospital.
Ms Justice Carroll told the jury: "I don't know whether you have heard or not, but as you can see, Mrs Nevin is not here . . . she is in hospital, but I have no reason to suppose that we won't be able to resume the trial on Monday." She asked the jurors to return on Monday.
Yesterday was to be the third day of defence evidence from Mrs Nevin following 20 days of the prosecution case against her. She denies the murder of her husband, Mr Tom Nevin (54). She has also pleaded not guilty to charges that on dates in 1989 she solicited Mr John Jones, that in or about 1990 she solicited Mr Gerry Heapes, and that on a date unknown in 1990 at St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, she solicited Mr William McClean, to murder her husband.
In evidence on Wednesday, she told her counsel, Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, she suffered from pernicious anaemia, a blood disorder, and was on ongoing medication for it.
Mr Nevin was shot dead on the Tuesday following the St Patrick's bank holiday weekend in 1996.