THE top judge at Oxford Crown Court yesterday criticised an “embarrassing” series of failures that led to hearings being delayed and cancelled.

Judge Gordon Risius said he was concerned by prisoners not being brought from HMP Bullingdon, “unnecessary” legal aid rules and “chaotic” court files.

Oxford’s resident judge made the comments on what he described as “a bad day” for the crown court in St Aldate’s after a number of cases were disrupted.

The first delay was caused by suspected drug dealer Michael White, 29, of Nuffield Road, Headington, not being brought from HMP Bullingdon near Bicester for his trial.

Then the sentencing of 31-year-old Shayenne O’Connor, of Evenlode, Banbury, for theft had to be postponed for the same reason.

Judge Risius, the Honorary Recorder of Oxford, said it appeared neither prisoner had been put on the van to court by prison staff.

A Prison Service spokesman last night said it was due to an “administrative error” and said staff at HMP Bullingdon were looking into the matter.

Addressing the court Judge Risius said: “A number of my cases today have been in a complete shambles and it is virtually impossible to do justice.”

He criticised the way in which White was eventually brought to the court because it could have been seen by jurors.

When he did continue the trial Judge Risius apologised to the jury for the delay.

He told them: “I seem to spend half my life these days apologising to juries for keeping them waiting.”

The case of 28-year-old Craig Plant from Milton Keynes, who is accused of fraud, also had to be adjourned because his case had not gone through Oxford Magistrates’ Court, and so he could not receive legal aid.

Barrister Claire Fraser said his case needed to go back to the lower court, which could not happen for at least three weeks, before returning to the crown court again. Judge Risius said: “Given the pressures on the courts these days and the difficulties faced by so many parts of the criminal justice system, I’m fairly astonished by what you have told me.

“It is going to have the effect of unnecessary court time being spent on getting the matter before the courts.

“I am genuinely concerned that when these courts and magistrates courts do their best to avoid unnecessary hearings we are being pushed back like this.”

Then the judge said he had given up trying to prepare the case of Damien Davies, of Barton Village Road, Barton, who has admitted two counts of robbery.

He said the 22-year-old’s file was incomplete, contained duplicated pages and referred to completely unrelated alleged offences.

Judge Risius said: “I don’t think I have ever seen such a chaotic file.

“I searched in vain to find details of the robberies, and I simply gave up trying to prepare the case.”

He said he did not blame anyone in particular, but would investigate what had gone wrong because similar things had happened “countless’’ times before.

Judge Risius said: “It is not the first time things like this have happened. It is embarrassing for any crown court to have to admit that matters are in the state they are in.

“Something is clearly going wrong in relation to this court.”

Last month Philip Harper, of Edinburgh Way, Banbury, had his sentence for voyeurism delayed because HMP Bullingdon had his first name spelled as Phillip, so did not bring him to court. And on August 17 Judge Risius condemned the “failure” of the prison to bring convicted rapist Waqas Hussain, of Prescott Avenue, Banbury, to court to be sentenced.

White’s trial continues and he has now been granted bail.

 

 

 

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