Juror discharged from Hillsborough deliberations
Woman juror discharged due to medical issue on first morning of deliberations
A juror at the Hillsborough inquests has been discharged, reducing the jury to nine.
The woman was discharged on a medical basis'' on Thursday, just a day after the jury first went out to begin considering its verdicts following more than two years of hearings into the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans in the 1989 football stadium disaster.
The jury began with a panel of 11 in March 2014, but one man was also discharged on medical grounds in February 2015.
Coroner Sir John Goldring told the remaining jurors on Thursday morning that nine of them would now consider the case.
He told them: In the light of all the information I have had, I have decided to discharge juror number four from continuing to serve on the jury. She is not here now, she has formally been discharged, so you will continue the case without her.
The information I have had included a medical basis for her to be discharged.
I should make this plain so that you will know, everyone, including the families, is aware of all the detail of what's happened.''
He added: We are conscious how difficult this has been for you. It's not, if I may say so, been entirely easy for me or us.
I'm confident you can put it all behind you now and deal with what is, after all, your real task, and that's making your decisions.''