A woman juror has been arrested after she was allegedly caught listening to an MP3 player hidden beneath her hijab during a murder trial.
The Muslim woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of concealing the device beneath her headscarf so that she could listen to music during the testimony of a man who bludgeoned his disabled wife to death.
Judge Roger Chapple, presiding, said that he thought he could hear “tinny music” in the courtroom at Blackfriars Crown Court in Central London, but dismissed it as a figment of his imagination until another juror sent him a note.
The woman was arrested for contempt of court on the direction of the judge on June 27 and is bailed to appear at the court before Judge Aidan Marron on July 23. The arrest can only be reported now after Alan Wicks, 72, the defendant at the trial, was convicted yesterday.
The juror, who is in her early twenties, was discharged by Judge Chapple and given warning that her behaviour, if proved, would amount to contempt of court. Outside the court she was searched by a police officer and an MP3 player was confiscated.
It is thought to be the first time that a juror has been accused of listening to music during a trial. John Cooper, a criminal barrister, said that people found guilty of contempt received an average of three years in prison. “It follows a long pedigree of contempt cases including jurors falling asleep and, in one case, jurors who used a Ouija board before they found a defendant guilty,” he said.
The woman had allegedly tried repeatedly to avoid jury service. She managed to postpone serving when she received her first summons and successfully avoided serving a second time by claiming to have toothache. On the third occasion she asked to be excused so that she could attend a nursing course but was obliged to serve when she failed to provide details.
She took an oath to try Wicks, a pensioner who was sentenced to a minimum of 11 years yesterday for murdering his wife of 50 years, but drew criticism from Judge Chapple after she arrived late at court repeatedly.
Peter Clarke, QC, for the prosecution, requested on Thursday that the juror be discharged, but his application was refused by the judge because discharges should follow only for “very, very serious . . . improper behaviour”. The next day a member of the defence team thought that she saw a wire under the woman’s head covering. Another juror passed the judge a note during a break for lunch alleging that her colleague had been listening to music during the defendant’s testimony.
The judge called the Muslim juror into court on her own and told her of the allegation. He said: “You are going to be discharged from this jury. You will play no further role.”
The remaining 11 members of the jury found Wicks guilty of murder. Judge Chapple told the defendant: “This was a ferocious and dreadful attack. Murders are often described as brutal, but it seems to me that description is entirely justified in this case.
“The force used was substantial - a minimum of 11 heavy blows to the skull. You then sought to spin a web of lies and deceit to cover your tracks and seek to avoid detection, but as this jury has found that was as false as it was elaborate.”
He told Wicks, who has suffered a series of minor strokes and now faces the prospect of dying in prison, that he would have to serve at least 11 years before being considered for parole.
I heard this on the radio, but didn't realise that the juror was a hijabi.
Sadly, this incident may play well into the hands of the anti-hijab-campaigners ... showing by example how the hijab can be used to 'conceal oneself'...
What a foolish thing to do!
People (in general, not just Muslims) should really consider how their actions are going to be viewed, interpreted and judged by others ...
Peace
Peace glo
Here I stand.
I can do no other.
May God help me.
Amen.
Come, let us worship and bow down •
and kneel before the Lord our Maker
[Psalm 95]
I heard this on the radio, but didn't realise that the juror was a hijabi.
Do you remember how they worded it?
Sadly, this incident may play well into the hands of the anti-hijab-campaigners ... showing by example how the hijab can be used to 'conceal oneself'...
Yeah. Some nutters will now think that hijabis can hide ninja stars under there. But they probably thought that anyway.
What a foolish thing to do!
People (in general, not just Muslims) should really consider how their actions are going to be viewed, interpreted and judged by others ...
okay my first impression was she was listening to rock music.
I found it a bit strange I admit.haven't heard of much hijabis who listen to music(western,rock whatever).
To be honest I will be interested to see what changes are made due to this. But I still cant believe some jurors used a ouiji board. That's really crazy stuff.
format_quote Originally Posted by amirah_87
InshaAllah she won't repeat the same action again. We all make mistakes right? May Allah help her.
Pretty interesting mistake, I mean, imagine telling our grandkids, 'Well children when I was such and such age, there was a murder trial and I had to decide whether the man accused of butcherin his wife was guilty or not, and whilst evidence was given I was listenin to ...'
I think this is one of the things where when your older you'll look back at and think 'Dang, what was I doing' Oh those are the days.
The path is long but I hope we meet,
After the grave and the Day, in paradise in bliss upon a reclined seat.
A traveler traveling - travelled from shirk to tawheed,
If I'm remembered for anything - let it be the Mercy I seek.
Pretty interesting mistake, I mean, imagine telling our grandkids, 'Well children when I was such and such age, there was a murder trial and I had to decide whether the man accused of butcherin his wife was guilty or not, and whilst evidence was given I was listenin to ...'
I think this is one of the things where when your older you'll look back at and think 'Dang, what was I doing' Oh those are the days.
You are starting to sound like a wise old man, Eesa!
Peace glo
Here I stand.
I can do no other.
May God help me.
Amen.
Come, let us worship and bow down •
and kneel before the Lord our Maker
[Psalm 95]
I dotn know, it seems to me that she did it on purpose in order to get caught and not be part of the Jury. Her other actions told the same. I guess this attempt worked!
So when do you guys think the Ban on wearing Hijabs in court will happen? seems to be soon, their really pushing their Islamaphobic propagandas recently, feels like its on a diffrent gear? hmmm... especially since the goverment lost the vote to tighten security on Muslim suspects for upto 90 days without charge.
Talking about banning Hijabs in court reminded me of this:
This judge Im sure has worked with other Muslim woman with Veils for years without any problems before but he now has the urge to express his incapacity due to her wearing a veil! maybe he's just gone senile who knows...
Okay so the previous one may have been senile? but why did this judge walk out?
Mr Murray then stunned those in court by saying he was withdrawing from the case because she was wearing a niqab, adding: "I do not feel I have to give any reasons. This is my personal view."
Hussain, from the Crumpsall district of Manchester, told her solicitor his walkout was "scandalous". She added: "There is a human being under here."
And the crusade to Ban the Hijab in court continious, keep your eyes peeled for more...
hijabis like these are making it hard for other hijabis. because now the courts will say "no hijab in this courtroom. remeber the women in hijab with the ipod?"
"Religion is very easy & whoever overburdens himself in his religion won't be able to continue in that way.So you should'nt be extremists,but try to be near to perfection & receive good tidings that you'll be rewarded;& gain strength by worshipping in the mornings,the nights." (bukhari vol.1 no.38).
The judge described Ruhela's case as "fundamentally important"
The case of a 20-year-old Muslim woman from east London accused of listening to music while sitting as a juror at a murder trial has been adjourned.
A judge at London's Blackfriars Crown Court said he hoped to deal with Ruhela Khanom's case on Thursday.
He described the case as "difficult" and "fundamentally important".
Ms Khanom, who is charged with contempt of court, is alleged to have concealed MP3 earphones beneath her hijab while listening to the defendant's evidence.
'Difficult case'
The hearing was temporarily halted while the juror, from Bow, was discharged and then arrested.
The defendant - a man accused of murdering his wife - was later jailed.
On Monday the court's top judge, Aidan Marron QC, said the case would be adjourned to Thursday and if not possible, then the case would resume on Monday, 6 August.
He told the woman, who was wearing her traditional headscarf as she stood in the dock: "I regret very much indeed not being able to resolve this difficult case today.
"I can understand the real anxiety she and her family have, but I am afraid this is so important, it is of fundamental importance, that we get it right.
"I will endeavour to deal with this case on Thursday when counsel will be appointed to assist the court."
Earlier he told Helen Curtis, defending: "Having looked very carefully at this case, at the heart of it is whether this young lady deliberately ignored the case."
The judge also said the case would have to be tried at another court because of the danger that he and other judges at London's Blackfriars Crown Court would know some of the potential witnesses.
Lol, that has to be the silliest thing ever. She must have really been bored. Or like someone else said, tried to find a way to leave the jury lol. And for all we know it could have been an anasheed or even a Quran recititation. I remember I was listening to the Qur'an like that on my iopd and my friends thought it was music :X Cuz of the way it sounded. So Allahu Alam. Still tho...i is kinda common sense to know its pretty strict in the court...even though I've never gone in one >.<
*Without Allah, without Islam, life would be meaningless. If I've ever learned patience, it's because of this. Alhamdulillah...*
The attorney general has decided not to take action against a Muslim juror who allegedly listened to music during a murder trial.
Ruhela Khanom, in her 20s, was accused of hiding an MP3 player and earphones beneath an Islamic hijab or headscarf.
She was discharged during the trial, at Blackfriars Crown Court, of Alan Wicks, who was later jailed for life for murdering his wife.
The attorney general's office said there was insufficient evidence.
A statement from the office of the Attorney General, Baroness Scotland, said she had "considered carefully the papers in this matter, in particular the witness statements, and has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of proving beyond reasonable doubt any alleged contempt of court".
Jury service
Ms Khanom was discharged by the trial judge, Judge Roger Chapple, after the prosecutor Peter Clarke QC claimed the juror had not been paying attention while the defendant was in the witness box giving key evidence.
Wicks, 72, was later convicted of bludgeoning to death his wife, Pamela, at their home in Hayes, west London, after taking out £150,000 life insurance.
At the end of the trial, it was also revealed Ms Khanom had repeatedly tried to avoid jury service.
During the trial, Judge Chapple warned her after she appeared to be doodling on a pad while evidence was being read out.
'Tinny music'
Mr Clarke initially asked for her to be discharged, but the judge resisted, saying jurors could only be discharged for "very, very serious and improper behaviour".
But the following day one of the defence lawyers thought she spotted a wire under the hijab.
Having looked very carefully at this case at the heart of is this whether this lady deliberately ignored the evidence Judge Aiden Marron QC
Later the judge said he had thought he could hear "tinny music" during the trial but dismissed it as his imagination.
The trial judge referred the matter to Judge Aidan Marron QC who considered the matter earlier this month.
Judge Marron said: "The police have investigated this matter and assembled a file.
"Having looked very carefully at this case at the heart of is this whether this lady deliberately ignored the evidence.
"That means that she was listening to music during the course of the evidence.
"Although there may be allegations she was persistently late and was quite indifferent to listening to the evidence and studying documentation... these matters demonstrate mindset but do not constitute contempt of court.
"The fundamental allegation is whether she was deliberately ignoring the evidence by listening to music."
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Having looked very carefully at this case at the heart of is this whether this lady deliberately ignored the evidence
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