GUILTY UK - Joanna Yeates, 25, Clifton, Bristol, 17 Dec 2010 #14

[veggiefan]

Just a quick "heads up", after a quiet time here recently, to say that contempt of court proceedings by the Attorney General against The Sun and Daily Mirror, for their reporting of CJ's role in the JY case, begin today at the High Court in London, and are expected to take two days. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for future crime reporting.

This is quite separate to CJ's own action in the civil court, where he is set to sue six national newspapers for libel.

 

[kINGFISHER]

This will now become gagged Britain. Love to know Jos parents views on this so called misuse of information by the press into CJs personal life.

 

[kINGFISHER]

Of course newspapers shouldn't convict a person on their pages. But can The Sun and Mirror themselves be convicted when, despite their coverage, they did no measurable damage to any legal process?


Above quote from The Independent, very true.

 

[whitedove]

Its all quiet here now, I pop in now and again, nothing much to do until October when V/T s trial is due to start, he has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, so I wonder what his story is going to be, just over a couple more months to wait.

I m just popping in to say Hi to anyone who still visits and I will be back to follow the trial in October, how many of you pop in and will be coming back in October.
Whitedove.

 

[veggiefan]

It has just been announced that CJ has accepted substantial damages and a public apology from eight newspapers, following his claim for libel:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14339807

The sum involved has not been disclosed. It's not entirely clear from the report if the case went to court - I rather suspect the newspapers reached an out-of-court settlement.

 

[wfgodot]

Here's Channel Four's report, it would appear by the wording "Chris Jefferies....has accepted" the libel damages and apology that it did not go to court, though it does remain unclear:

---
He has accepted the damages from the Sun, the Daily Mirror, the Sunday Mirror, the Daily Mail, the Daily Record, the Daily Express, the Daily Star and the Scotsman.

They have apologised "unreservedly".

Meanwhile, in a separate case the High Court have ruled that the Sun and the Daily Mirror have been found to be in contempt of court over influencing the course of justice when the story was reported in December.
---

http://www.channel4.com/news/joanna-yates-landlord-wins-libel-case

 

[kINGFISHER]

Lord Judge said: "The articles in the one issue of the Sun were written and laid out in such a way that they would have conveyed to the reader of the front page and the two inside pages over which the stories were spread that he was a stalker, with an obsession with death, who let himself into the flats of other occupants of the building where Miss Yeates lived, and that he had an unhealthy interest in blond young women."


They didn't make these stories up they came first hand from witnesses and he was not sentenced on these observations. Eighteen thousands seems quite a small settlement, a token really.


The court gave the Daily Mirror publisher Mirror Group Newspapers extended time in which to launch a petition for permission to appeal to the supreme court. It is thought to be the first time that media organisations have been found guilty of contempt with a story about a suspect who was not, ultimately, tried.

 

[Cherwell]

They didn't make these stories up they came first hand from witnesses

Since much of this stuff came from unnamed "sources", I think there is every possibility that some of it was made up.

 

[badhorsie]

Where did it say CJ got £18,000? I read that it was a six figure sum

 

[wfgodot]

Yes, Guardian had it as undisclosed but six-figure.

Wiki has a comprehensive look at the case for anyone just happening along here not knowing what's what, hadn't seen it before: Wiki

 

[kINGFISHER]

Since much of this stuff came from unnamed "sources", I think there is every possibility that some of it was made up.

Perhaps newspapers might want to sue for that assumption or prove the point. Sun £18000 for ...

 

[Cherwell]

Where did it say CJ got £18,000? I read that it was a six figure sum

I think that was what one of the papers was fined in the contempt of court case, which was brought by the Attorney General. Entirely separate from CJ's private libel suit.

 

[veggiefan]

They didn't make these stories up they came first hand from witnesses and he was not sentenced on these observations. Eighteen thousands seems quite a small settlement, a token really.

The vast majority of quotes were anonymous, which is usually a sign that they were made up, although this was not a matter that the court needed to consider. The newspapers would still have been in contempt of court had the quotes been true.

While the £18,000 fine for The Sun was quite modest, the Daily Mirror was fined £50,000, which is the biggest fine against a newspaper for contempt of court since 2004.

 

[kINGFISHER]

The vast majority of quotes were anonymous, which is usually a sign that they were made up, although this was not a matter that the court needed to consider. The newspapers would still have been in contempt of court had the quotes been true.

While the £18,000 fine for The Sun was quite modest, the Daily Mirror was fined £50,000, which is the biggest fine against a newspaper for contempt of court since 2004.

I know that is not the issue whether these stories are true or not . But it would seem that point was not taken into consideration regarding the authenticity of the accusations. If these stories are made up , which some believe, then I think his compensation would have been in the millions, if it was just a bunch of lies. As he was so incensed with the accusations then I would have thought he would have taken it to court to prove the stories were totally untrue and made sure this was published as so, but this as yet has not happened. Just quietly done behind closed doors, best left.

The Daily Mirror are appealing the 50,000 fine for contempt of court as they do not believe it was.

So we will see what happens here but have a feeling they won't win and more interesting what happens when he sues the Police.

 

[kINGFISHER]

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47649&c=1

 

[veggiefan]

If these stories are made up , which some believe, then I think his compensation would have been in the millions, if it was just a bunch of lies.

CJ's lawyer said in court that all of the newspapers concerned had acknowledged the falsity of the allegations they had printed.

Damages in the millions can no longer be awarded (and were very rarely in the past). There is a "ceiling” for compensatory damages in defamation cases, at present around £215,000 - which is probably what CJ got (the exact figure has not been revealed). The average award in libel cases is £48,000 so the "six-figure sum" accepted by CJ should indicate that the judge regarded the libel as very serious indeed, and is why the press have reported the damages as "substantial".

 

[squid]

In a brief hearing at Bristol Crown Court yesterday the Dutch architect's barrister, William Clegg QC, said his team is to supply the court with an enhanced statement of the defence case.

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Statement-reveal-s-Joanna-Yeates-death/story-13287948-detail/story.html

 

[notsure]

In a brief hearing at Bristol Crown Court yesterday the Dutch architect's barrister, William Clegg QC, said his team is to supply the court with an enhanced statement of the defence case.

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Statement-reveal-s-Joanna-Yeates-death/story-13287948-detail/story.html

I don't get a good feeling from that; I'm not sure why. He's got his story worked out, by the sound of it.

 

[whiterum]

I don't get a good feeling from that; I'm not sure why. He's got his story worked out, by the sound of it.

Exactly,the only witness has been silenced so he can say pretty much anything that fits in with his manslaughter plea. I don't think we will ever know the truth, it could have died along with Joanna.

 

[badhorsie]

Vincent Tabak in court today for pre trial hearing