A JUDGE today warned a juror she faced contempt of court proceedings if her excuse for suddenly going missing during a trial was untrue.

Brighton shop worker Louisa Martin, 21, went missing during the first day of an indecent assault trial at Lewes Crown Court ten days ago.

In an attempt to make the required 12, court officials took the unusual step of stopping people in the street outside the court and asking them to become jurors.

Eventually a juror was found from another source and the trial re-started.

Judge Richard Hayward ordered that the missing juror should appear before him last Wednesday to explain her absence but she again failed to show up.

He then ordered her arrest and she appeared before him today.

Asked why she had gone missing, Martin explained her sister had suddenly been taken into Kings College Hospital in London.

However, the judge said court officials had contacted the hospital and no patient of her sister's name had been admitted on that date.

When Martin insisted her sister had been admitted, the judge said he wanted confirmation from the hospital and warned she may have committed an offence under the Jurors Act.

He said: "Prima facia it is contempt of court. If you have made any steps to mislead the court it will be very serious."

He told Martin to appear before him next Monday.

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