Judge used Google translate to speak to African asylum seeker
Eritrean national Abdoela Berhan, who gave his age as 34, appeared before magistrates on charges of assault and criminal damage.
But the defendant told the court that he could not speak any English.
Could not take his pleas
District judge Orla Austin said she could not take his pleas or outline the circumstances of the case if Mr Berhan could not understand what was being said.
The court clerk said they could not source a translator who spoke the same African language so had to adjourn the case to try to find one.
But they needed to inform Mr Berhan of his bail conditions and the date for when he needed to return to court.
Ms Austin typed the bail conditions and instructions for returning to court into Google translate on her laptop.
The clerk then approached the dock and held up the device to the defendant so he could read it.
Difficulties in dealing with immigrants
The case highlights the difficulties UK courts face in dealing with immigrants who cannot speak English.
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures for 2023 showed £59.2 million was spent on interpreters in three years. The majority of this was for foreign criminals in court hearings, although some was also for witnesses or tribunals.
The figures also showed that since 2020, the MoJ's translation bill increased from £16m to £22m a year. A spokesman said this was because courts are hearing more cases since the pandemic.
No official language in Eritrea
Mr Berhan is alleged to have assaulted a Subway assistant manager on Nov 30, punched a woman in the face at a nightclub on Dec 7 and smashed a window at the hotel where he's living in Bournemouth, Dorset, on Feb 19.
His case was adjourned until May.
Eritrea is a one-party state and has not held elections for several years. According to international organisation Human Rights Watch, it has one of the worst human rights records in the world.
It has no official language but the main working languages are Tigrinya, Arabic and English. Eritrea is one of top 10 nationalities applying for asylum in the UK and has a very high acceptance rate.
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