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2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
St Albans rape trial jury made to wait due to staff shortage
A leading barrister has raised concerns after a judge overseeing a double rape trial had to delay asking a jury to consider verdicts because of a shortage of court government agency which oversees the administration of courts said what happened at St Albans Court Court on 16 July was an "isolated incident".A spokesman for HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) said steps were being taken to "strengthen staffing levels".But the leader of the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, said underfunding meant courts did not have enough people. Judge Bilal Siddique was overseeing the trial of a man accused of raping two women he had relationships with when a Metropolitan Police Cummings, 26, who lived in Lytton Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, had denied rape and said sex was judge was ready to ask the jury to retire to consider verdicts at around 1100 BST on 16 no court clerk was available to record administrative detail, including the time jurors retired. The judge asked the jury to retire at around 1400 BST, after a clerk became returned with one guilty verdict shortly after 1600 BST - and were then sent home for the returned with a second guilty verdict on the morning of 17 is due to be sentenced on 22 September."We had an unusual level of staff sickness on 16 July, which led to a delay in one case," said an HMCTS spokeswoman."While this was an isolated incident, we are taking steps to strengthen staffing levels to ensure we have sufficient cover in similar situations." Bar Council chair Barbara Mills KC said cuts meant the criminal justice system was not serving the people it was meant to protect."The result of decades of underfunding, cuts across every single aspect of the criminal justice system, meaning there's not enough clerks, magistrates, probation staff… the list goes on," she said."There is no getting away from the fact that the entire sector must be sufficiently resourced to function effectively and as well as we know it can."She added: "Currently, the impact on victims, witnesses and defendants is detrimental – criminal justice in England and Wales is not serving those it's meant to protect." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Yahoo
Dad 'said he did nothing wrong' after murder arrest
A father accused of killing his premature baby told police he had "done nothing wrong" when he was arrested, jurors have heard. Daniel Gunter, 27, is on trial for murder following the death of two-week-old Brendon Staddon, who suffered multiple fractures while in Yeovil District Hospital's special care baby unit on 4 March 2024. Brendon's mother, Sophie Staddon, 21, is accused of causing or allowing her baby's death, after he was born at 33 weeks. They both deny the charges. Jurors have retired to consider their verdicts. More news stories for Somerset Listen to the latest news for Somerset Warning: This article contains details that some may find distressing, including details of severe injuries. During his summing up at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday, Mr Justice Swift said despite being born prematurely, Brendon was doing well and had already made the transition from nasal to bottle feeding. But upon his death he was found to have, amongst other injuries, a broken neck, a broken jaw, broken legs, broken ankles and broken wrists. The court heard that during his short life, nursing staff at the Somerset hospital had many concerns about his parents' behaviour, particularly Mr Gunter's repeated rough handling of him. Mr Gunter was seen getting angry with Brendon while changing his nappy, jurors were told. The couple left the hospital on 29 February, eight days after Brendon was born, and did not return until the afternoon of 4 March, jurors heard. At about 04:00 GMT the following day, Ms Staddon went to the nurses' station and asked staff to check Brendon because he was cold and floppy, the jury was told. Mr Gunter said "he's fine, he's fine" even as nurses began the resuscitation process, jurors heard. The court was told he then asked if the couple could "go out for air" while the team worked. When he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, jurors were told Mr Gunter said to police: "What are you on about? I've done nothing wrong mate," and "I've done nothing wrong sir," when he was re-arrested for murder. When Ms Staddon was cautioned, jurors were told she replied: "My baby's dead, you're telling me my baby's dead, I didn't kill my baby." Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. More on this story 'Parents smoked as medics tried to save baby's life' Parents accused of murdering son deny harming him Murder-accused father 'seen shouting at his baby' Related internet links HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Yahoo
Murder-accused 'went to bridge to hurl bodies off'
A man accused of murdering and dismembering a couple specifically travelled to Bristol to "hurl" suitcases containing their bodies off the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a court has heard. Yostin Mosquera, 35, denies murdering Paul Longworth and Albert Alfonso on 8 July last year at their flat in London, where he was staying. Summing up the prosecution case at Woolwich Crown Court earlier, Deanna Heer KC said Mr Mosquera's "specific intention" was to throw the suitcases into the Avon Gorge, but he "miscalculated his own strength". "He chose to go to Bristol for a purpose – not because it began with a B or because of football – but because of the bridge," she said. WARNING: This article contains material that some people may find distressing. Mr Mosquera previously admitted the manslaughter of Mr Alfonso by way of loss of self-control. He is accused of murdering him by stabbing him to death during a recorded sex session at a flat in Shepherds Bush. More news stories for Bristol Watch the latest Points West Listen to the latest news for Bristol He is also accused of killing Mr Longworth with a hammer earlier on the same day and of then hiding his body in a divan bed. Mr Mosquera denies murdering either man, and insists Mr Alfonso killed Mr Longworth. The court was told Mr Mosquera dismembered the bodies and took them to Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol in an effort to dispose of the remains. The jury previously heard Mr Mosquera had only heard of Bristol in the context of "football" and had never been to the city before. During his questioning on Friday, he told the court he had originally chosen to take the bodies to Brighton and had contacted a man with a van to arrange transport. Shortly afterwards, Mr Mosquera said he decided to take the bodies to Bristol instead. "[There was] no specific reason, just because it was in the same alphabetic order, I didn't know anything about it," he told the court. Ms Heer said Mr Mosquera logged onto a computer to access Excel spreadsheets containing banking information and passwords within a minute of Mr Alfonso's death. Addressing the jury, she said: "Yostin Mosquera told you he accessed those documents probably because he needed money to take the suitcases to Brighton/Bristol. "It demonstrates he must have very quickly been thinking about his next step. "He knew he had two bodies to dispose of and he was getting on with it," she said. "It may not have been the best plan, nobody is suggesting he's some kind of criminal genius but it was a plan that he set out to execute," she added. The trial continues. Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. More on this story Murder accused searched for 'fatal blows' online Murder accused claims he was 'raped every day' Man killed and dismembered couple, court told Related internet links HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Yahoo
Man jailed over sexual messages with decoy girls
A man who believed he was talking to young girls when he sent sexual messages online has been jailed for three years. Daniel Gibbs, 33, of Crown Close, Stowmarket, Suffolk, admitted six charges at Ipswich Crown Court, including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual communication with a child. The court heard Gibbs had messaged four Facebook accounts purporting to be young girls aged between10 and 13, but which were actually run by adults acting as decoys. Judge Emma Nash said Gibbs had a "distorted attitude towards children and sex". Prosecutor Mac Brown said Gibbs had added the accounts and engaged in conversation that quickly turned sexual, where Gibbs sent images of himself and asked for photos to be sent to him. The court heard that Gibbs had asked one of the decoys, who told him she was 13, to engage in a sexual act. Judge Nash said that was the most serious offence. Gibbs had told some of the decoys he was a swimming coach, when in reality he worked at a recycling centre. He told the girls to delete the conversations as he could "get in to trouble". Gibbs was arrested on 23 April at his home and said to officers "I'm going to prison, aren't I?" He answered no comment when interviewed by police but pleaded guilty at his first crown court appearance. He had two previous convictions for sexual offences against children, committed when he was 15 years old. Defending Gibbs, his barrister Abigail Bright said that he had been "lonely and bored" but admitted he should have stopped all contact when he was told of the girls' ages. The court heard he had "no intention to meet anyone he had contacted" and was "genuinely remorseful". Judge Nash told Gibbs: "You do not consider yourself a danger to children; I disagree with you." "If these were real children, which you intended them to be, they would have been caused significant harm by you," she said. Gibbs will be placed on the sex offenders' register for life and a sexual harm prevention order was made for 20 years. Wearing a grey tracksuit with a shaven head, he was told he would serve half his sentence in prison before being eligible for release. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Drink driver jailed for causing three-car crash
A drink driver who was almost twice the legal limit when he caused a three-car crash that left a motorist seriously injured has been jailed for two and a half years. Brandon Barker, 26, lost control of his van after he clipped another car as he tried to overtake a lorry on a blind sweeping bend on the A15 near Hackthorn, Lincolnshire, in July 2024. Lincoln Crown Court heard Barker, of Wolsey Way, Lincoln, remained on the wrong side of the road before colliding head-on with a Mini leaving the 22-year-old driver with "catastrophic injuries". Barker, who admitted a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, has also been banned from driving for 39 months. Two other cars were also forced off the road during the crash, which happened at about 06:30 BST on 2 July, the court heard. Judge James House KC was told the 22-year-old driver required two operations afer suffering multiple fractures and bruising to his brain. When interviewed by police, Barker accepted he had been drinking the night before the collision but said his driving had not been impaired, the court heard. A toxicology report concluded he was at least nearly twice the legal limit at the time of the crash and an investigation found he had also sent a text message while driving, the judge was told. In mitigation, Neil Sands described Barker as a "decent young man" who had no previous convictions. Passing sentence, Judge House told the defendant he had no doubt his judgement had been impaired by alcohol. "You knew you were late for work, you had sent a text to that effect," the judge added. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. HM Courts & Tribunals Service
