April 3, 2001

April 3, 2001 (Tuesday) from Sportal

Judge warns jury

In his summing-up at the trial of Leeds players Jonathon Woodgate and Lee Bowyer on assault charges, the judge has warned the jury that witnesses who gave identification evidence against the palters may have made mistakes.
Mr Justice Poole said that witnesses may have been "tainted" by the publicity surrounding the trial.
"Photographs of them were published in the context of this case before identity parades attended by two eye-witnesses," he said. "It's possible for an honest witness to make a mistaken identification. There has been a number of wrong convictions in the past."
The judge also emphasised that, although alleged victim Sarfraz Najeib was Asian and his attackers were a group of white males, racism was not an issue in the trial.
"We live in a time and a society where there is particular sensitivity to racism and race. But you should know the prosecution in this case has stated publicly in a pre-trial hearing that it does not suggest there was any racist motive in this attack. Nor indeed is there any evidence there was such a motive."
Bowyer and Woodgate along with Neale Caveney, and Paul Clifford deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray.
Woodgate, Caveney and Clifford, along with another Leeds player Michael Duberry have also pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

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