In 2001, the Sunday Mirror ran an interview with the father of the victim of an alleged assault by two Leeds footballers, Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate. The piece was published while the jury was trying to make up its mind about the guilt or innocence of the accused. Because the story could have misled the jury, it gave rise to a substantial risk of serious prejudice in the criminal trial. The consequences were drastic: the case collapsed, the editor resigned, the newspaper was fined 75,000 pounds for contempt and paid 54,000 pounds in costs.
01 December 2003
Here's what happens in England when the news media publishes something which suggest guilt before the trial has ended:
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