A landmark inquest already delayed four years was further deferred yesterday when the Dublin city coroner was forced to declare proceedings null and void and order a fresh inquest.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell told the court midway through the inquest that proceedings were to be abandoned as it had emerged over lunch that two of the jury members knew the family of the dead man, which caused a conflict.
Stephen Keeler (28), a father of one, from Rossmore Gardens, Ballyfermot, Dublin, died in July 2002 after a three-day illness that led him to attend three Dublin hospitals before he died at St James's.
Mr Keeler's death led to the 1962 Coroner's Act being amended to allow for more than two medical experts to give evidence at an inquest.
The family's solicitor argued that because Mr Keeler attended many doctors and hospitals before his death, hearing from just two medical witnesses could not be considered a full inquiry.
The inquest heard yesterday that Mr Keeler attended his GP on July 8th, 2002, feeling breathless. Dr Eugene O'Connell recommended he attend Tallaght hospital as he could not find anything clinically wrong.
Mr Keeler drove himself to the hospital and was discharged a few hours later.
But the next day, Mr Keeler felt worse and again attended Dr O'Connell who this time called an ambulance as Mr Keeler's lips were blue-tinged, he was very breathless and had chest pains. Mr Keeler was rushed to St James's but was discharged after two hours, the court heard.
He was brought by ambulance to the Mater hospital the following morning.
As no dialysis machine was available at the Mater, Mr Keeler was rushed to St James's but died the same day.
The cause of his death is unknown as pathological evidence has yet to be heard at the inquest.
Jeff Keye, a consultant in A&E medicine at Tallaght hospital, who treated Mr Keeler, said it was "unfortunate" that ambulances always brought patients to the nearest hospital regardless of whether they had been treated somewhere else the previous day.
A new inquest is not expected until the new year.