Complex sentence: Whelan found himself in a "bizarre" 8-day trial, the Prime Minister, a personal friend of Mcgee's, had received permission to sit beside judge William Buell Richards while hearing evidence.
Split into simpler sentences: Whelan found himself in a "bizarre" 8-day trial. The Prime Minister, a personal friend of Mcgee's, had received permission to sit beside judge William Buell Richards while hearing evidence.