Sneaker fails to revive fainted witness

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NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- A sneaker placed under the nose of a witness who fainted in the middle of a Florida robbery trial failed to revive the woman, authorities said.

Falguni Patel fainted Wednesday in Circuit Judge Michael Andrews' New Port Richey courtroom when a prosecutor showed her the knife used by the masked robber who robbed her convenience store in 2009 and the jury was ordered out of the room, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported Thursday.

A bailiff brought in a family member who said Patel is prone to fainting spells. The family member held a sneaker up to Patel's face, saying it often woke her up, but the technique was not effective.

Authorities said Patel was carried from the scene by paramedics and was resting in her home later in the day. She is expected to continue her testimony in the trial.

Morgan Armstrong, 32, is facing an armed robbery charge in the October 2009 incident at Beverages Plus in Hudson.