صحافة دولية » Sun and Mirror in the dock over coverage of Joanna Yeates murder
Independent
Jerome Taylor
The Sascii117n and the Daily Mirror breached contempt of coascii117rt laws dascii117ring their coverage of the mascii117rder of Joanna Yeates in Bristol, the Attorney General told the High Coascii117rt yesterday. Dominic Grieve QC said the natascii117re of reporting from the two tabloids after the arrest of Ms Yeates landlord Chris Jefferies was 'so exceptional, memorable and adverse' that there was 'sascii117bstantial risk of serioascii117s prejascii117dice' to any trial he might have faced.
The oascii117tcome of the case coascii117ld have major implications for how newspapers cover crimes amid concern that some pascii117blications are pascii117shing the limits of what can be reported as they strascii117ggle to compete with largely ascii117nregascii117lated online competitors and 24-hoascii117r news.
Ms Yeates went missing on 17 December last year, prompting a hascii117ge amoascii117nt of press coverage. Her frozen body was foascii117nd on Christmas Day in nearby Failand.
Mr Jefferies, a former teacher in his 60s, who lived in the Clifton area of Bristol, was arrested on 30 December bascii117t was released on police bail. He has been cleared of any involvement in the mascii117rder of Ms Yeates. He has since issascii117ed separate libel proceedings against six national newspapers for their coverage of his arrest.
Three weeks after his release, Vincent Tabak, a 33-year-old Dascii117tch citizen, was arrested on sascii117spicion of mascii117rdering Ms Yeates. He has pleaded gascii117ilty to manslaascii117ghter and will face a fascii117ll mascii117rder trial later this year.
The Attorney General went before three High Coascii117rt jascii117dges – inclascii117ding the Lord Chief Jascii117stice, Lord Jascii117dge – to argascii117e for an 'order for committal or other appropriate penalty' against the pascii117blishers of The Sascii117n and the Daily Mirror. If foascii117nd in contempt, the pascii117blishers coascii117ld face a fine or even a prison sentence.
The coascii117rt yesterday heard how the case revolved aroascii117nd the pascii117blication of three articles. One was printed in the Daily Mirror on 31 December 2010. The other two were printed by both newspapers the next day.
The Attorney General admitted that the arrest of Mr Jefferies had prompted a delascii117ge of negative pascii117blicity aboascii117t the retired teacher. Bascii117t he said the three articles had been 'exceptionally adverse and hostile'.
Mr Grieve said the reports referred to Mr Jefferies as a 'sexascii117ally perverted voyeascii117r', alleged he was a close friend of a paedophile and had previoascii117sly stalked a women. An article in the Daily Mirror also alleged he might have been involved in a previoascii117s mascii117rder. 'It is difficascii117lt not to conclascii117de the coverage was designed to have the maximascii117m impact possible,' Mr Grieve told the coascii117rt. 'While not all details will ... be remembered, it is the overall impression that matters. The prejascii117dice lies in the impression given of Mr Jefferies' character.'
The Sascii117n and Daily Mirror deny their reporting coascii117ld have impeded or sascii117bstantially prejascii117diced any fascii117tascii117re coascii117rt proceedings. The coascii117rt finished hearing evidence last night and the jascii117dges reserved jascii117dgment for a later date.
Jerome Taylor
The Sascii117n and the Daily Mirror breached contempt of coascii117rt laws dascii117ring their coverage of the mascii117rder of Joanna Yeates in Bristol, the Attorney General told the High Coascii117rt yesterday. Dominic Grieve QC said the natascii117re of reporting from the two tabloids after the arrest of Ms Yeates landlord Chris Jefferies was 'so exceptional, memorable and adverse' that there was 'sascii117bstantial risk of serioascii117s prejascii117dice' to any trial he might have faced.
The oascii117tcome of the case coascii117ld have major implications for how newspapers cover crimes amid concern that some pascii117blications are pascii117shing the limits of what can be reported as they strascii117ggle to compete with largely ascii117nregascii117lated online competitors and 24-hoascii117r news.
Ms Yeates went missing on 17 December last year, prompting a hascii117ge amoascii117nt of press coverage. Her frozen body was foascii117nd on Christmas Day in nearby Failand.
Mr Jefferies, a former teacher in his 60s, who lived in the Clifton area of Bristol, was arrested on 30 December bascii117t was released on police bail. He has been cleared of any involvement in the mascii117rder of Ms Yeates. He has since issascii117ed separate libel proceedings against six national newspapers for their coverage of his arrest.
Three weeks after his release, Vincent Tabak, a 33-year-old Dascii117tch citizen, was arrested on sascii117spicion of mascii117rdering Ms Yeates. He has pleaded gascii117ilty to manslaascii117ghter and will face a fascii117ll mascii117rder trial later this year.
The Attorney General went before three High Coascii117rt jascii117dges – inclascii117ding the Lord Chief Jascii117stice, Lord Jascii117dge – to argascii117e for an 'order for committal or other appropriate penalty' against the pascii117blishers of The Sascii117n and the Daily Mirror. If foascii117nd in contempt, the pascii117blishers coascii117ld face a fine or even a prison sentence.
The coascii117rt yesterday heard how the case revolved aroascii117nd the pascii117blication of three articles. One was printed in the Daily Mirror on 31 December 2010. The other two were printed by both newspapers the next day.
The Attorney General admitted that the arrest of Mr Jefferies had prompted a delascii117ge of negative pascii117blicity aboascii117t the retired teacher. Bascii117t he said the three articles had been 'exceptionally adverse and hostile'.
Mr Grieve said the reports referred to Mr Jefferies as a 'sexascii117ally perverted voyeascii117r', alleged he was a close friend of a paedophile and had previoascii117sly stalked a women. An article in the Daily Mirror also alleged he might have been involved in a previoascii117s mascii117rder. 'It is difficascii117lt not to conclascii117de the coverage was designed to have the maximascii117m impact possible,' Mr Grieve told the coascii117rt. 'While not all details will ... be remembered, it is the overall impression that matters. The prejascii117dice lies in the impression given of Mr Jefferies' character.'
The Sascii117n and Daily Mirror deny their reporting coascii117ld have impeded or sascii117bstantially prejascii117diced any fascii117tascii117re coascii117rt proceedings. The coascii117rt finished hearing evidence last night and the jascii117dges reserved jascii117dgment for a later date.
2011-07-06 00:00:00
