Jurors urged to manage stress

Don’t drink to excess and don’t do drugs.

Words of advice you might expect to hear a parent tell a teenager, but on Thursday it was a judge warning jurors.

Before sending a threewoman, 10-man jury home for a long weekend, Justice David Gates implored them not to bottle up emotions which might strike them after sitting through the trial of triple-murder suspect Douglas Garland.

“Be careful about the use of alcohol, or caffeine and tobacco or drugs to help you during this coping process,” Gates said.

“Reach out and connect to others, the people in your lives who love and support you, talk to them about the feelings you are experiencing,” he suggested.

The Court of Queen’s Bench judge said jurors should try to maintain a balanced diet and get a good night’s sleep.

“Personally I can tell you that these two things alone, particularly getting a good night’s sleep, have helped me a great deal in managing my own stress over the course of the past several weeks.”

Gates said jurors might struggle to deal with the length of the trial, its high profile nature in the media and public “and most particularly the disturbing evidence that was introduced during the course of the trial.”

“You have some very important work to do before this trial is concluded, I wish you a peaceful and relaxing weekend.”