A three-months-long drug trial has been aborted in Australia after jurors were found to be playing Sudoku.

More than 100 witnesses had given evidence at the trial when five jurors admitted they had been playing the game. A woman juror told Sydney District Court Judge Peter Zahra that the brain-teasers had helped keep her mind "busy" as she listened to testimony at the trial.

"Some of the evidence is rather drawn out and I find it difficult to maintain my attention the whole time and that (the puzzle) doesn't distract me too much from proceedings," she said. Lawyers in the case said they had initially been impressed at seeing jurors with their heads down, apparently scribbling notes.

"We actually all thought they were quite a diligent jury," solicitor Robyn Hakelis, who represented one of the accused, told ABC radio. "The judge had made many comments about what a good jury they were, how they were taking copious amounts of notes."

The jurors were rumbled after one of the defendants, who faces a possible life sentence for conspiracy to manufacture amphetamines, noticed the forewoman completing the puzzle. A new jury is expected to be sworn in within weeks and the trial will resume.

They should have let them bring the dartboard...

In retrospect the sudoku wasn't too bad...

The original was here.