i may be naive but how exactly do cases get convictions without evidence?

[mouse]

conviction without evidence

Collating evidence for your defence. I would suggest, like you see on police programs you draw a time line. Then go down that line in chronological order and enter all the salient information. Provide all information to your solicitor in chronological order so they can easily see the sequence of events. Consider if photographs, maps or drawings will help your case, remember your solicitor does not know the area where the allegations are supposed to have taken place. Do you need to check bus/train times, weather conditions etc. Its silly things that get forgotten so check statements thoroughly, eg, 'he climbed through window' ...check how big window was, get pics, prove it couldn't have happened that way......Hope this helps, it really is down to you.

[mouse]

conviction without evidence

Where sex offences are concerned the prosecution do not have to produce factual or hard evidence , all they need to do is provide the jury with a scenario that could have happened. Juries do not want to be seen to let a sex offender off and are already prejudiced by the hysteria that has been developed in this Country by media hype over the few really bad cases such as Soham. Its enough for prosecution to show that person A knew B. Person A at some time was alone with B. Person A had opportunity to do what was alleged by B. let Juries imagination fill in the blanks. Juries do not have to account for their decision, or how they came to that decision and more and more it is being seen that outside influences are affecting Jury decoisions.
This is not scaremongering, its to open your eyes to the fact that if you don't fight to prove your innocence then you will lose, because the justice system and the police will not do it for you, and don't rely on your solicitor, they can only do so much and rely on your input. Most people accused make the biggest mistake of thinking because they are innocent they don't need a solicitor and the more they tell the police the more obvious it will be that they are innocent and it will go away. The more you tell the police the more they have to circumvent the truth with. I'm generalising not all coppers are bad, but are human and need convictions and the least line of resistance. I have known where a rape suspect gave police evidence to prove he could not have committed offence on day alleged, only to find later her statement had been changed to a different day as she had made a mistake? Good luck, but you have to make it. Good solicitors are normally small Companies who specialise, in general the big boys will pass the bulk of the work to a junior who without the experience can miss important issues. One such good solicitor is Ennon and Co, Finsbury Park, London.

[Verity]

The most mportant question to ask is:
What is her motive?

The most important evidence to find is:

THE MOTIVE, MOTIVE, MOTIVE, MOTIVE
And then make sure all who need to know it, KNOW IT and don't let them forget it.

[Midnight and Worried]

Thanks Verity,

I have posted on the other thread but I will just add my thoughts,not really on the Judicial System as luckily we didn't get that far,but on Police ''Procedure'',reminding you that I was once married to a Police Officer.

Things have changed now compared to when I was wed,in the old days the Police would arrest someone on suspicion,investigate and then decide themselves if a charge should be brought.

Nowadays they are merely evidence gatherers for the CPS so they will investigate and obtain any relevant forensic - all of this will then go to the CPS who will look at the evidence offered and if the CPS believe that they have a good chance of a conviction they will instruct the Police to go ahead and charge.

I have been told that the investigating officer can offer his opinion to the CPS and believe that in my Grandson's case I had a good honest officer who was n ot interested in targets or the conviction rate but just told it as he saw it.

I actually had a couple of conversations with him after my Grandson was NFA'd and he said that he believed him from the outset but merely had to follow procedure and I had to endure months of anxiety from which I am only now recovering.

I hope that your Son is being dealt with by a similar officer,one who is only concerned with the truth.

[Verity]

Take control now!!!

Hi desertorkid,

That is the whole point hun of why we have to fight or else the judiciary will continue with this injustice.

It is good that your sister is a policewoman.
She should have the latest copy of PACE with the appropriate amendments.
Get hold of a copy and go through Code C and especially Code G, focusing on nessecity of arrest.

Make sure the police adhere to the rules of PACE to the letter.

You must take control of your son's case.
Do not take no for an answer.
Gather every scrap of evidence you can to build a defence for your son.
Get your son to obtain his custody record and write to the duty solicitor asking for the attendance notes, initial disclosure notes and the notes taken by the duty solicitor during the interview.

That will give you a starting point.
Read through all paperwork and documents line by line with your son.
Highlight all inconsistancies, discrepancies, lies and then find evidence where you can from FB etc.
Did your son get a reciept for the items seized and does it state the grounds on which they were seized given that this is an allegation of a historical nature.

Learn the relevent codes of PACE PDQ.
It will stand you in good stead as you will be able to ask relevent questions and it will soon be realised you are not going to stand by and allow your son to be railroaded by a target driven system that is abusing power, procedure and process.

Get angry and let your maternal instincts guard your cub against this predator as a lioness protects her cub.

Read Worried and Midnight's thread.
Her Grandson was falsely accused by an ex-girlfriend and between us we tore her tale apart.

If you live anywhere near London get in touch with:
Gerry McDonald
EBR Attridge
436 High Road
Tottenham
London
N17 9BJ

Mob: 07779 239708
e-mail: gerrymcdonald@ebrattridge.com
Office: 020 880 80774 (24hrs)

Website: www.ebrattridge.com

They have offices in Tottenham and Holborn as well as Manchester.
Look up details on the website.

Say Mark recomended him to you.
Gerry has dealt with Mark's and Worried and Midnight's grandson's case very successfully.
Ask Worried and Midnight about him.
Take control and get bloody angry!!

[LS]

Unfortunately, innocence or guilt does not come into the judicial system in this country today. It is about the odds of securing a conviction. If the Crown Prosecution Service deems that there is more than a 50% chance of a conviction, then charging ensues and you wait for a trial date. Regardless of if you are innocent or guilty.
It is about what evidence "exists" which helps pad the case out against you. The best to hope for is that it is NFA'd and doesn't go to trial, because the jury system here is pathetic, when they are often made up of bigots and people with preconceived ideas, and will often ignore lies told by the accuser, even when they're caught red-handed.

I'm sorry if that causes you immense worry, but that is how it is. I've got a conviction against my name for something I didn't do, despite she and hers telling lies in court, being caught out, yet the jury ignored it all and pronounced me guilty and wrecked my life.
I would rather tell people how it is, than to pretend it's all fair and sweet.

As RF says, you have to fight because if you don't, then they win.

[Rights Fighter]

Read other posts not just this type of comment.

It is worth fighting otherwise you have nothing.

[desertorkid]

i came on here looking for advice and now this scaremongering has worried me immensely. Judging by these comments my son is already convicted. My sister is a policewoman. I trust her. I have to trust the system. But if the system is always corrupt from top to bottom, then what's the point of fighting??

[mouse]

Naive no...

Hi Rights Fighter,
Yes the appeal was run by Senior Counsel and Barrister, both very experienced and well respected - both very disturbed by what they felt was now a dangerous precedent being set ( jury finding their own version from evidence not presented but compromising on a common ground.) I thought, as did they that any doubt they had should have been transferred to the other counts. That certainly was not the case and the NSWCCA went to great lengths to reconcile the verdicts, even in the face of such overwhelming inconsistencies. I then was forced to undertake an 18 month sentence - one that was very stressful for, not only me but my family as well. My wife, who was a police officer, was harassed at work by senior officers whilst I was in custody. I was threatened with having to do my full four year sentence if I did not address my offending behaviour and undertake a therapeutic program. Of course you had to confess your crime as far as addressing the offending behaviour - and if you deny the offence, your guilty as you are in denial - they could do anything to you as you were found guilty and of course treated that way. So I refused to do the program as I could not sell my soul to get early release. But a Corrections Officer collapsed directly in front of my in role call and I immediately commenced first aid. (hard habit to break from all those years protecting the public) Now all of that was placed on my custody file and all of a sudden, I was informed I would in fact be released on my earliest release date. When I was released, I then commenced investigating my matter. And oh boy did I blow her version of events clear apart. Not only did her best friend completely disinegrate her version, he also informed me via an official statement that this woman was in a relationship with the police officer who she was supposed to have confided the assault to. Then he advised me that she had slept with a female student five days after the alleged assault (this woman was a self confessed bi-sexual) and he gave names, times, dates and places. When I submitted this evidence, the Crown thought it serious enough to forward this evidence to the Crown Advocate, the highest level of Crown in the state of NSW -to get advice of the Crown Advocate whether the complainant had committed perjury - and then the cover up started. The Judge hearing my application for review of conviction was changed - changed to a judge that does sentence matters (i.e a judge that can justify a conviction). The Crown Advocate placed forward that the evidence I found was hearsay and opinion that would not be admissible if my matter went to retrial, therefore it should be dismissed - but nothing about the fact she had lied - not one word. Then the evidence from the Head Forensic Physician for the Victorian Police Force. Now you could not get a person more objective than a man who gives opinion for law enforcement could you - wrong. The accepted the evidence of an emergency department on call doctor whose specialty is anaesthesia over three that I submitted, a specialist Police forensic doctor, a specialist gyno and the Head Lecturer of the College of Nursing - an a specialist in womens health, all of whom stated that the vaginal abrasion - the only injury this woman suffered in a long, violent and protracted assault, all agreed was not from any type of penetration and was not one caused at the time of the alleged assault but was caused closer to the time of the examination. Now not only did the emergency department doctor breach all examination protocols but he did not conduct an internal examination (bearing in mind that there was evidence now that she spent the night with her partner the night before the examination) and the reason why was the complainant stated she was too sore. The experts that I put forward stated that there was no reason why she could not have an internal done and stated that she was not, on the evidence placed forward, dibilitated or disabled in any fashion after the alleged assault. They stated that if the complainant was too sore to be examined on Monday, then the injuries suffered on the night would have been so severe that she could not physically move - but the Court stated she was disabled as was her evidence. The sad thing was the evidence from her friends was that she had no physical injury, was not disabled, one stated she was on a stage dancing like a slut (this was in fact stated in Court) and the other stated she was dancing with six men, touching each others bodies and then walked 1.5km home, was not in pain, did not complain of any pain (and incidently was wearing tight pants with no underwear) and none of that evidence went anywhere either. The Judge hearing the application for review went to great pains to say that the evidence should have been submitted at trial and other evidence was irrelevant as it was hearsay -he agreed with the Crown Advocate that the evidence was inadmissible and threw out my application. I showed all and sun dry that this womans evidence was all lies - to the point where the Crown even submitted it to the highest level of the Crown for adjudication regarding perjury and yet I still have this stain. And everything that I write on here is documented and has been presented to the NSW Supreme Court. So sadly, the system would rather threw me to the sewer rather than admit that this woman lied. They all went to great pains to shoot me down and the only thing that will save me now is if she confesses. Now what are the chances of that. My fear, my greatest fear is that I will have this stain on my name forever. These records will last longer than me and it will say I am a rapist. Truth be known that scares me more than I can put into words. And this woman has no compunction whatsoever to put on a police officer's uniform and go to work, lock people up and know with every inch of her being that her lies put an innocent man in gaol.

They are not protecting her, they are protecting their own prominent positions and the perception given to the public that our, 'justice systems' work.
This club culture with them all protecting each others backs and banding together not to overturn convictions if humanly possibly is to protect this perception of justice and their own positions nothing more.
Unless you become caught up in the system you don't know its failings, so the billions of people in our Countries out there are kept in ignorance & its only through forums and such like we can get the message out. Fortunately the internet has been born and whilst it may not happen in my lifetime the tide is turning.
TO EVERYONE - WHENEVER YOU CAN, ON THE NET/in the NEWS, GET THE MESSAGE OUT THERE, OUR JUSTICE & POLICE SYSTEM IS CORRUPT.

[mouse]

Quote

Hi Rights Fighter,
They did appeal - it was thrown out. I submitted a review of conviction to the NSW Supreme Court, I have listed in the threads previously all of the evidence I placed forward but in the end nothing I did or put forward made a scrap of difference - showed how much this woman lied, made no difference, even to the point where the Crown even conceded that I did not injure her, that made no difference. I produced expert evidence from Criminal Profiler who showed this was a false complaint and forensically disected all of the evidence for the court - went nowhere.
But in my matter, I said it was consent, she said there was no consent, the jury found there was consent and it was withdrawn. WHEN WAS IT WITHDRAWN. What part of the evidence, because no one has been able to yet show that proposition. How can a woman state she was injured, then have the Crown say that the injuries cannot be excluded as having been occasioned at some other time other than the assault - a woman who stated she could not dance because of the injuries then be seen dirty dancing, touching other mens bodies on a stage in front of over 100 people then have her evidence of complaint accepted - easy. Because if the Court start overturning convictions, that would show that women do make false complaints, that would stop women coming forward because they would 'fear' they would be persecuted. You can see it all now.
But one thing I have lost is my name. This stain is on me for the rest of my life and how do you remove it? I fought, It took me fours years to place an application for a review of conviction and over 1000 pages of submission to be told that nothing I found made a scrap of difference. So how do you replace your name - how do you get back what makes you who you are? Your name. My favourite quote can be found in "The Crucible."
It truly sums up my fears about loosing my name:my identity.
"Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!"

I think Charles Dickens said something similar, briefly as I can remember, 'if you take my purse, it is but a purse and has no value that can't be replaced, but steal my name and you steal my very soul' my apologies to Charlie as his version was far more eloquent. mouse

[mouse]

If you don't fight your corner, no one else will

I am probably in the most unenviable position, having arrested people and having been arrested - having investigated false complaints and having one made against me. Now I can safely say in my matter, the weirdest part of all was the jury found there was consent and consent was withdrawn. But then how is it that the complainant stated there was no consent at all at any time. So the jury believed me when I said there was consent but for the life of me, no one can explain when, where and how consent was withdrawn as that was not her evidence. So how did I get convicted - simple - because no one will believe, not even in the face of evidence that shows she had lied, that some one will lie - that is the one thing that I did not hammer home and should have. But the solicitior informed me that if I attack the alleged victim, I will look bad to the jury - sorry, but I already looked bad to the jury because I had been arrested and charged - now standing before them charged with an offence that people find reprehensible. So for god's sake, if any of you can listen, those who have to face court, listen now, MOTIVE MOTIVE MOTIVE - find it, investigated it, leave no stone unturned. This incident happened eight years ago, I still have nightmares, still cannot go into places like service stations or shops when there is a lone female for fear she will make an allegation. Life after an allegation, you live in constant fear, you are scared 24/7 because it has happened once before, you know lies put you away, you are waiting for someone to do it again. And why, because it was so easy for the woman in my matter to lie and easy for her to say I did something to her and easy for a Court to accept there was consent and it was withdrawn even though that was not the Crowns case, see my point, things can be changed, can be explained, can be thrown out - once a conviction is recorded, you have more chances of walking on water than getting it overturned. So fight and don't leave any stone unturned. Don't sit back and hope that a jury will see through lies. In my matter, there were ten different documented versions and she got caught out that many times - it did not matter. It matters to no one, evidence can be changed testimony altered, victims coached prior to giving their evidence. Fight like there is no tomorrow, because if you don't your tomorrow could end up behind bars.

Cannot emphasise enough how important 'not guilty's' comments are, remember your Barrister/solicitor get paid regardless of the result....you must do all you can to fight your side, get to your witnesses before police, don't tell police information, it will get lost, used against you, & find that motive and investigate it.
If you read other posts you will also know that it doesn't end with a prison sentence, you may never work again, you may never form a relationship or start a family as shure as hell SS will step in, you will forever be expected to offend, even more so if you maintain innocence, your only option is to get out of this country & leave loved ones behind. Main motives are money, jealousy, & revenge, keep fighting. mouse

[mouse]

Motive

Dear Not Guilty

Anyone who has read my postings will know what I think of the corruption in the UK police in the way they deal with false allegations. However, 'not guilty', your tragic story moved me.

In particular your sound & clearly knowledgeable advice as an x-police officer regarding the 'need to establish motive' aspect on the part of the false accuser.

In the UK there is far to much misguided respect & deference paid towards the police and the mistaken UK public belief that they (police) will honestly 'investigate'? with 'integrity & impartiality' both sides of an allegation. Too many victims of false allegation, as RF regularily tells us, know to their bitter cost after the event that is not the case.

It worries me the number of people who seemingly 'blindly' invest faith in a 'duty solicitor' (I was fortunate with mine, plus I knew following my arrest, to get the eyewitness statements before police could corrupt the evidence or bully & intimidate the witnesses. IT HAPPENS!) & folly of belief the 'police', will rightfully clear them from a false allegation, because they, (as the real victim) know the truth of their inocence.

Please, DO NOT sit back and let the system grind along.

Please, SEEK OUT information, evidence, witnesses, & as made clear by 'NOT GUILTY', seek out the motive on the part of the vile false accuser.

...and DO NOT hand it over to police, as RF has previously made plain, witnesses statements & evidence to prove ones inocence have a nasty habit of ...disappearing once in police hands.

The stain of false allegation (let alone a false conviction) does indeed mare one for life...and in my own personal experience, there are corrupt police who will continue to abuse you long, long after others think it it is all over for you.

I will endorse everything 'utterly destroyed' says above, most important get to your witnesses before the police, don't sit back and wait for your solicitor or you may find your witnesses become police witnesses and are just not called to help you.

[mouse]

Motive

Hi Guys,
I have been having a real hard time lately and thought I would get on to the site and read. This gives me a chance to at least try and help people understand how this sort of thing happens. I can answer your questions from both sides of the fence. Being a police officer for such a long time, I was able to locate and produce evidence at Court in a number of sexual assault matters. But I did investigate two false allegations of sexual assault and both matters had glaring deficiences and produced a large motive to lie on both counts. That is they key to every sexual assault allegation - motive to lie. That is why it is essential for all parties concerned when they have been falsely accused to find out why they have been accused. There has to be a reason. I enlisted the assistance of a Criminal Profiler from the United States - Brent Turvey. This man has written books with New York Police Officers about how to better investigate sexual assault matters. But because of his investigations, he is also in a greater position to profile matters and determine whether it is a false complaint and motives to lie. The motive is usually contained in the evidence of complaint. Now putting on my other hat and being one who was imprisoned for a false complaint of sexual assault, one thing that was not attacked at my trial was motive to lie. It is easy to say that someone is lying, but harder to prove. That is why I would leave no stone unturned when it comes to discovering motive. In my matter the woman had alot to loose and chose to accuse me rather than loose her position at the NSW Police Academy. My life has been destroyed because of a job and it is a sad realisation that I live with - or should I say exist with.
I placed an application to the Supreme Court for a review of my conviction based on very positive evidence that I had located. Now I don't know about the UK system, but in Australia to have a conviction overturned is rare as the system will only interupt a conviction when there has been a substantial miscarriage of justice. Now to show you how stupid the system is, in my matter the woman presented to a doctor four days after the allegation date and stated I injured her vagina. The Doctor (who was on call and was a specialist anaesthetist) stated her injuries were consistent with her story. When I put in my submission for a review of conviction, I was able to provide evidence from the Senior Forensic Physician with the Victorian Police Force that stated he has never in all his career seen injuries as described be present after four days and went into a very scientific reason as to why the injuries were not caused four days earlier and are not those seen in any sexual assault. The Senior Crown Solicitor stated in his reply that "whilst the injuries suffered now cannot be excluded as having been occasioned at some other time, this does not interfere with the guilty verdict." Now here is a Crown official who is stating that the injuries I was supposed to have caused weren't occasioned at the time - but that doesn't mean I am not guilty of the offences - and the Supreme Court agreed. I, along with all of the experts (there were three) found the findings totally perverse. But the most perverse about this is the alleged victim stated that after this alleged assault, she went to a nightclub, stayed a short time, did not drink alcohol, danced but could not move because of the injuries and the pain. But I contacted her best friend and questioned him in relation to this matter about the alleged victims evidence. This is the actual evidence that was presented to the NSW Supreme Court (names have been blanked out)

"A very short time later I told **** that we needed to go home to which she stated to me, “Let’s stay and enjoy the rest of the night.” For the next two (2) hours or so I saw **** smiling, laughing dancing on the stage of Dingo’s. At one stage I only saw **** with at least six (6) OSG or SPG personnel (Sworn Police Officers) dancing on the stage. I saw that she was straddling one male’s leg whilst another was close behind. All persons dancing were touching each other bodies. I didn’t look to me that **** was in any pain what so ever. Later that night we walked home from Dingo’s to **** unit in Church Street Goulburn. The distance would be about 1km to 1.5km and we oth walked it. **** did not complain or show any signs of pain whilst walking home.”

Now the alleged victim stated she was injured, and I produced evidence that it was physically and scientifically impossible to have such injuries. She stated she was injured and could not dance and was upset because of the alleged assault. Now when you read the observations of her friend (who is a serving police officer) her behaviour is not that of a bona fide complainant. The Court said she was entitled to act whatever way she wanted as it was after the alleged assault - but it didn't matter that never once was her evidence consistent and she was caught out lying in her evidence but that never mattered.

The point I make and will continually make is that once a conviction is returned, the only way it will ever be overturned is if the woman admits she has lied. Now what do you think the chances are of that. That is why no stone can be left unturned. The allegation made against me was 19 September 2001 and now nearly seven years on, I still have nightmares, still simply exist and put my head on my pillow every night knowing the woman lied and put me in gaol for a crime I know I didn't commit and sadly she knows I didn't commit. For everyone that is accused, life can never be the same. It is a stain that can never be erased but the people that make the allegations will continue with their lives oblivious to the repercussions of their lies.

Leave no stone unturned. Have a say in your defence. Whilst the solicitors do the talking, it is you that does the time if the verdict goes the wrong way. And there is still one misconception that is out in the community - that a woman would never lie and go through all of this just to make a false complaint. This is reflected in the jury room and that is why finding positive and admissible evidence of motive to lie must be found.

And I would be only to happy to help anyone that is in this most harrowing position.

And embrace all those whom love you. I could not have gone on (and it is amazing what thoughts go through your mind) if it wasn't for the love and committment of my beautiful wife.

Good luck to you all.

The giving of cash handouts as compensation in the UK is more than enough to get people to lie. When I was in prison police trawled people there who had been in childrens homes telling them they would get payouts if they had been abused? Until we get rid of the compensation culture then false allegations will continue and real victims will suffer. It's been proved that there are better ways to help victims than cash handouts, although the latter is easier & short term.

[Saffron]

Twelve good men and true?
Don't make me laugh. More like twelve people who are either students, unemployed or retired and therefore don't have to tolerate the loss of income that goes with Jury Service.

Serving on a jury pays you minimum wage. Your employer is not obliged to pay you your normal salary for the standard 2 weeks of jury service.

I have said elsewhere on this forum (a few years ago now) that I know a man who was drafted for Jury Service. He is an architect, an intelligent, compassionate, socially-aware man. At the time he earned over £18 per hour working as an architect with a major London practice. He learned that to undertake jury service he would be paid minimum wage. His employer said they would pay him full wage if he took the jury service as annual leave, otherwise he would only be entitled to the minimum wage as outlined in governmental and employment law policies. This man had a wife and two young children to support. He therefore asked to be excused from Jury Service, but was told that financial considerations are not sufficient to be excluded from your social duty. So he did his two weeks. He encountered such bigoted and irrational/unreasonable opinions from his fellow jurors that the entire experience left him feeling sick to his stomach.

Similarly my God Mum did jury service a while ago. She was appalled by the comments made by the jury, comments such as "Well he must have done it, he's black" and "I'll go with the majority verdict because I want to play golf this afternoon".

Trial by jury does sometimes work. But for crying out loud, let's use a better juror selection system than the "lucky dip" we currently employ.

[LS]

i may be naive but how exactly do cases get convictions without evidence?

It is all too easy when you have a jury made up of specimens like this one:

""A TEENAGE juror escaped jail for contempt of court after she sent text messages to a fellow juror claiming that a defendant she was trying was a paedophile.
Danielle Robinson, 19, wept as she was accused of “childish and silly” behaviour.
She had risked wrecking two trials at a cost to taxpayers of £50,000. But she was let off with a severe dressing down and an eight-month suspended prison sentence.
Hull Crown Court heard Robinson’s fellow juror was trying a theft case in an adjoining court last week.
In gross breach of jury rules, Robinson texted the woman, saying: “He’s been in prison before and is a paedo.”
The other juror had earlier tried to prevent any dialogue about her trial. Robinson had first texted: “Hi it’s Danielle from court. Are you doing the kid’s case?” The woman replied: “I can’t talk to you.”
Despite the warning, Robinson sent her the “paedo” message. The single mother had picked up the piece of gossip at a shop. It was pure fabrication. Her fellow juror told a court bailiff and both were discharged. But it was decided to continue the trials without them.
Robinson, of Hull, spent some time in the court cells before being charged. Paul Genney, defending, said the two jurors had become friendly during their jury service. He said: “This is a young, immature lady, delighted to be on a jury, not someone who set out to deliberate engage in jury tampering.
“It was a stupid thing to do rather than a wicked thing to do. She is very immature.” But Judge Roger Thorn, QC, said he had no doubt that Robinson intended to interfere with the other jury’s verdict.
He said: “What is the purpose of sending a text message saying someone has been to prison or that he is a paedophile if she did not want to see him convicted? You blatantly breached instructions about no communication with others. You have let down your own generation.”
But he added: “I draw back from sending you to jail. I don’t think you are likely to do it again.”
Judge Thorn recommended that her fellow juror should be awarded £200 from public funds for raising the alarm.""
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/...ing-two-trials

The worrying aspect of it is, what if the recipient of her texts had been either like-minded or not honest/public-spirited? Someone would now be labelled something which they are not. This is a prime example of when a dimwit allows emotions to overrule the evidence put before them, and sadly there are thousands like this idiot on juries every day.