Normal business has resumed at Limerick District Court after proceedings were interrupted when a man, who was appearing in front of judge Mary Larkin, ended up on the floor of the courtroom after his chair collapsed underneath him, writes David Raleigh.

Reliable eyewitnesses said the chair “gave way” as the man sat waiting to hear details of his case.

Judge Larkin ordered the court be cleared to allow paramedics attend the man.

According to bystanders the man fell to the ground after a “loud crack” and “a bang” was heard.

“The chair collapsed from under him. There was a serious crack. It was nasty,” they said.

“The court was cleared and the man was still lying on the ground. The chair did break. I’m not sure if there were screws in it; It looked like the back of the chair gave way and he came off it.”

“He got a shock.”

Paramedics arrived and attended to the man inside the court.

“They had an inflatable stretcher and they had gas for him for the pain. They checked him over and were asking him could he feel his hands and toes.”

“They did a blood pressure test and got some kind of reading from a monitor they had on him.”

The man was removed by ambulance and taken to University Hospital Limerick.