Falklands : Court News (24/04/06)
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 25.04.2006 (Article Archived on 09.05.2006)
Three people had cases heard in Magistrate's Court this morning.
COURT NEWS: 24/04/06
By J. Brock (FINN)
In Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 24 April 2006 before Senior Magistrate Mrs. Claire Faulds, Keith John Reddick faced a charge of having in his possession on 19 April 2006 indecent photographs off an unknown child under the age of 16contra to (section 160(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1998. Mr. Reddick pleaded guilty to the charge. When presenting the case, Crown Prosecutor, Mr. Philip DuBerry QC said that further charges could be brought due to the 100ds or even 1000nds of photos found at Mr. Reddick’s residence and on his three computers. He further said that the computer hard drives would be sent to the UK for analysis. He further asked for a pre-sentence report.
The charges had come about when worried parents of a young boy contacted Social Services. Also, members of the public contacted them when they observed Mr. Reddik and a young boy on the beach.
Mr. Keith Watson for the Defence argued that as Mr. Reddick had pleaded guilty at the earliest possibility. He asked for an independent pre-sentence report as local knowledge about the case was in the public domain. He added that Mr. Reddick had been in custody since 19 April.
In adjourning the case for sentencing, Senior Magistrate, Mrs. Claire Faulds said she wanted to consider all of the evidence against Mr. Reddick before passing sentence.
Mr. Watson argued that Mr. Reddick be allowed out on bail but Mr. DuBerry said that due to the seriousness of the charges, the possibility of re-offending while out on bail and concerns for Mr. Reddick’s personal safety that bail should be an option. Mrs Faulds found on behalf of the prosecution and Mr. Reddick was remanded. She further added that a court date should be set as a provision of Mr. Reddick remaining in custody.
The case was adjourned until Monday, 01 May 2006, when bail would be considered again.
The cases against Mr. Dave Morris and Mr. Jonathan Butler began at 1110hrs before Senior Magistrate Mrs Claire Faulds. Mr. Morris was excused from Court today but Mr. Butler was in attendance to hear further submissions about Mr. Butler’s Medical Report and a possible psychiatrist’s report.
Dates for the trial were still an issue due to the availability of witnesses and trial judge, etc. Mr. DuBerry suggested a report based on GP’s notes and police tapes that would be a joint report both defence and prosecution would agree to. However, Mr. Watson said that he would prefer a report to show the interviews should not be admitted. The police officers who conducted the interview had booked a holiday with their families and did not wish to give them up.
Mrs Faulds said there would have to be very strong reasons why a joint report shouldn’t be accepted before she considered it.
Setting the date for the trial has become complicated in that in Mr. Morris’s interests it would be good to hold the trials back to back. She asked the prosecution and the Defence to come up with alternative dated if the 17th of July was not acceptable. The exercise would be complete by Monday, 01 May 2006. She said the 17 July date was not ruled out but she wanted all parties to put in submissions before making a final decision. Mrs. Faulds would provide a written submission as to why the 17th of July would be the best possible date for the trial to begin. A final decision would possibly be made on 11 May 2006.
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