A juror was found to be in contempt of court and fined £400 after telling a sheriff he “forgot” to turn up.
Jordan Hutchison was berated by the sheriff and told he had held up two trials and caused inconvenience to more than 70 members of the public and court staff.
Hutchison had already sat through two days of evidence in a serious assault case and was told to return to Perth Sheriff Court on Monday morning, when the case would resume.
He failed to show up, however, and the other 14 jurors were kept waiting as the trial could not start again without Hutchison present among their number.
Police were dispatched to his home and, when they got no response at the door, they left behind a card telling him to call urgently.
When Hutchison finally emerged from his bed and called the police he was told to get to the court for 2pm, when he was brought in to face a contempt of court charge.
Representing Hutchison, solicitor Billy Somerville said: “He was no doubt told on Friday to return at 10am today and didn’t do so.
“He seems to have forgotten to set his alarm, then he gets up and does nothing and the police had to put a letter through his door. At that stage he got the letter and phoned the court.
“He has no other explanation. Most people would find it unbelievable that you could forget from Friday to Monday what you were to do.”
Hutchison, who works at a DIY store, was discharged from the jury after depute fiscal Sue Ruta and the defence lawyer told the court he should not be allowed to continue because, if he could not remember being on the jury, he would be unlikely to remember the evidence given so far.
Sheriff Foulis told him: “I have no hesitation in finding you guilty of contempt of court. As a result of your failure to attend this morning your fellow jurors were kept here nearly three hours before being sent away.
“If you had been here this morning I suspect their function as jurors would have been completed by lunchtime. You have caused them considerable inconvenience,” said the sheriff.