One of the jurors hearing evidence in the murder-conspiracy trial surrounding the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., has been dismissed for falling asleep in the courtroom.

Court of King害羞草研究所檚 Bench Justice David Labrenz told jurors Friday he became aware the female juror was nodding off during testimony in the trial of Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert.

害羞草研究所淭he juror had difficulty remaining awake and had been observed on several occasions to have been dozing during the evidence,害羞草研究所� he told the panel.

害羞草研究所淓ach of you need to hear the evidence and be in a position later to discuss the evidence and your impressions of the evidence with your fellow jurors when you害羞草研究所檙e deliberating.害羞草研究所�

Labrenz told the jurors to let him know if they ever need a break to walk, stretch or get a snack.

害羞草研究所淎t times listening to evidence can be quite tiring. Sometimes it害羞草研究所檚 not like a scripted television show,害羞草研究所� he said.

The 14-member jury 害羞草研究所� five men and nine women 害羞草研究所� is now down to 13.

They have been hearing evidence for a month in Lethbridge, Alta.

When they retire to consider a verdict, one of them will be excused to bring the final number of deliberators to 12.

Two additional jurors were excused before the trial even began, including one who told court her sister害羞草研究所檚 boyfriend was a cellmate of one of the accused.

Olienick and Carbert were arrested in early 2022 after participating in a blockade to protest COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates at the busy Canada-U.S. border crossing at Coutts. The roadblock stymied traffic for two weeks.

It ended peacefully and quickly after police made arrests and seized weapons and body armour near the protest site. More weapons, ammunition and two pipe bombs were later found at Olienick害羞草研究所檚 home.

An RCMP forensics expert testified Friday that the powder inside the pipes was explosive.

So far, the jurors have heard the Crown making its case.

It has presented text messages from the accused as evidence, along with weapon seizures and testimony from undercover officers.

The officers, posing as volunteers at the blockade, told court that Olienick said he believed Mounties were the tools of 害羞草研究所渄evil害羞草研究所� Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and deserved to be hanged. The officers testified that Olienick said if police raided the blockade, he would 害羞草研究所渟lit their throats.害羞草研究所�

In a police interrogation video shown to the jury, Olienick denied targeting police but said he feared an invasion by United Nations troops or Chinese communists.

He characterized himself and others as 害羞草研究所渟heepdogs害羞草研究所� protecting 害羞草研究所渢he flock害羞草研究所� from tyrannical invaders.

The jurors have also been shown text messages from both accused.

In one, Carbert warns his mother of war and says he is prepared to die, telling her, 害羞草研究所淭he sooner you wake up to what害羞草研究所檚 happening the sooner you害羞草研究所檒l understand why I have to do what I have to do.害羞草研究所�

Olienick, in a series of messages, characterizes the blockade as an apocalyptic last stand against a satanic government.

In one text, Olienick says he may not make it out alive, telling a friend, 害羞草研究所淚f I die, feed my cat and take my guns.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� By Jeremy Simes in Regina

The Canadian Press