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18/07/2012
Two National Newspapers Found Guilty Of Contempt Of Court
The Daily Mail and Daily Mirror have been found guilty of contempt of court over their coverage of Levi Bellfield's conviction for the murder of Milly Dowler.
The High Court ruled the two national newspapers had published "seriously prejudicial" articles, a claim the newspapers had denied.
When the articles were published, jurors had still been considering a separate attempted abduction charge.
During the contempt case, brought by Attorney General Dominic Grieve, the judges were told that stories in the Mail and Mirror were part of an "avalanche" of adverse publicity that followed the guilty verdicts against Bellfield.
Jurors had still been considering a charge that Bellfield had attempted to abduct Rachel Cowles, then aged 11, the day before he snatched 13-year-old Milly in Walton, Surrey, in 2002.
Sir John Thomas and Mr Justice Tugendhat heard that as a result of the "totality" of the publicity, the Old Bailey jury was discharged from returning a verdict on that count.
The newspapers argued during the contempt case that their articles would not have created a substantial risk of serious prejudice. But the two judges ruled in favour of the attorney general.
Mr Grieve said after the decision: "It is unfortunate that the deluge of media coverage following the Milly Dowler verdict, not only by these papers but also other media outlets, led to the judge discharging the jury before they had completed their deliberations on a charge of attempted kidnap, ultimately depriving Rachel Cowles of a verdict in her case.
"This prosecution is a reminder to the press that whilst the jury is still to reach a verdict on all counts of the indictment the Contempt of Court Act applies.
"The question of penalty is now for the court to consider."
(H/GK)
The High Court ruled the two national newspapers had published "seriously prejudicial" articles, a claim the newspapers had denied.
When the articles were published, jurors had still been considering a separate attempted abduction charge.
During the contempt case, brought by Attorney General Dominic Grieve, the judges were told that stories in the Mail and Mirror were part of an "avalanche" of adverse publicity that followed the guilty verdicts against Bellfield.
Jurors had still been considering a charge that Bellfield had attempted to abduct Rachel Cowles, then aged 11, the day before he snatched 13-year-old Milly in Walton, Surrey, in 2002.
Sir John Thomas and Mr Justice Tugendhat heard that as a result of the "totality" of the publicity, the Old Bailey jury was discharged from returning a verdict on that count.
The newspapers argued during the contempt case that their articles would not have created a substantial risk of serious prejudice. But the two judges ruled in favour of the attorney general.
Mr Grieve said after the decision: "It is unfortunate that the deluge of media coverage following the Milly Dowler verdict, not only by these papers but also other media outlets, led to the judge discharging the jury before they had completed their deliberations on a charge of attempted kidnap, ultimately depriving Rachel Cowles of a verdict in her case.
"This prosecution is a reminder to the press that whilst the jury is still to reach a verdict on all counts of the indictment the Contempt of Court Act applies.
"The question of penalty is now for the court to consider."
(H/GK)
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