Article 1Jailed because of a cough!

Article 1
Jailed because of a cough!
As the foreman of the jury got to his feet to deliver his verdict at the climax of the two-day trial, the traditional tense silence descended on the court.For the defendant Alan Rashid, it was the moment of truth. For Unfortunately for him it was also the moment when member of the jury couldn’t control the tickle in the back of his throat any longer. He suddenly coughed just atthe moment when the foreman declared Mr Rashid ‘not guilty’. Because of the cough nobody heard the word not’ – so in an instant an innocent man was turned into a convicted criminal!As 32-year-old Mr Rashid, who is unemployed, stood devastated in the dock – and with the puzzled jury wondering what on earth was going on – Judge Michael Gibbon jailed him for two years on a charge of making athreat to kill. Mr Rashid’s lawyer tried to console him as he was taken to the court cells to wait for the van to takehim to prison. Judge Gibbon then thanked the jurors at Cardiff Crown Court for their efforts during the trial andlet them go.But as they walked out of court a puzzled member of the jury asked a court official why Mr Rashid had beensentenced for two years after being found not guilty. The official immediately realized there had been a mistakeand called everyone back to court. Mr Rashid was taken back into the dock and Judge Gibbon told him he wasfree to go. Mr Rashid’s lawyer said afterwards, ‘He was totally confused. One moment he was facing two yearsin prison and the next he was going home on the bus.


Article 2
Juror’s cough clears throat but jails innocent man
A man found not guilty by a jury was jailed by mistake because somebody coughed as the foreman delivered theverdict.Judge Michael Gibbon sentenced Alan Rashid to two years’ imprisonment believing he had been found guilty of making a threat to kill. But the ill-timed cough drowned out the vital word ‘not’, leaving the court and defendantconvinced that he had been convicted. Judge Gibbon, 68, told Rashid, ‘The maximum sentence for making athreat to kill is ten years. Taking everything into consideration, the least sentence I can give you is two years’imprisonment.’Mr Rashid, 32, of Llanrumney, Cardiff, was led to the cells at Cardiff Crown Court and the judge discharged the jury. But as Mr Rashid waited for a van to take him to jail, a mystified juror asked a court usher why a man theyhad acquitted was being imprisoned. The court was hastily reconvened and Mr Rashid was freed. Nicholas Williamson, the court manager, said, ‘It was very bizarre. The jury foreman indicated a guilty verdictand the court proceeded to sentence the defendant. One of the jurors was puzzled why he was jailed after beingfound not guilty, and the judge was informed. Mr Rashid was a very relieved man when the judge explained whathad happened.’Jurors had not spoken up earlier during the hearing on Wednesday because they believed that Mr Rashid had been convicted of other offences.

Resultados (español) 1:

Article 1Jailed because of a cough!As the foreman of the jury got to his feet to deliver his verdict at the climax of the two-day trial, the traditional tense silence descended on the court.For the defendant Alan Rashid, it was the moment of truth. For Unfortunately for him it was also the moment when member of the jury couldn’t control the tickle in the back of his throat any longer. He suddenly coughed just atthe moment when the foreman declared Mr Rashid ‘not guilty’. Because of the cough nobody heard the word not’ – so in an instant an innocent man was turned into a convicted criminal!As 32-year-old Mr Rashid, who is unemployed, stood devastated in the dock – and with the puzzled jury wondering what on earth was going on – Judge Michael Gibbon jailed him for two years on a charge of making athreat to kill. Mr Rashid’s lawyer tried to console him as he was taken to the court cells to wait for the van to takehim to prison. Judge Gibbon then thanked the jurors at Cardiff Crown Court for their efforts during the trial andlet them go.But as they walked out of court a puzzled member of the jury asked a court official why Mr Rashid had beensentenced for two years after being found not guilty. The official immediately realized there had been a mistakeand called everyone back to court. Mr Rashid was taken back into the dock and Judge Gibbon told him he wasfree to go. Mr Rashid’s lawyer said afterwards, ‘He was totally confused. One moment he was facing two yearsin prison and the next he was going home on the bus. Artículo 2Tos de jurado despeja la garganta pero inocente en las cárcelesUn hombre encontrado no culpable por un jurado, fue encarcelado por error porque alguien tosió como el capataz entregado theverdict. Juez Michael Gibbon condenado Alan Rashid a de prisión dos años, creyendo que había sido encontrado culpable de hacer una amenaza de matar. Pero la inoportuna tos ahogada la palabra vital 'no', dejando el corte y defendantconvinced que había sido declarado culpable. Juez Gibbon, 68, dijo Rashid, ' la pena máxima para hacer athreat para matar es de diez años. Tomando todo en consideración, la sentencia por lo menos te puedo dar es years'imprisonment dos.' Sr. Rashid, 32, de Cardiff, Cardiff, fue conducido a las células en el corte de la corona Cardiff y el juez descargado el jurado. Pero mientras esperaba una camioneta que lo llevara a la cárcel Señor Rashid, un jurado perplejo un ujier de la corte por qué un theyhad hombre absuelto fue ser encarcelado. La corte se volvió precipitadamente y Señor Rashid fue liberado. Nicholas Williamson, el administrador del Tribunal, dijo, ' fue muy extraño. El capataz del jurado indicó un verdictand culpable, que la corte procedió a condenar al acusado. Uno de los miembros del jurado fue desconcertado por qué fue encarcelado después de beingfound no culpable y el juez fue informado. Sr. Rashid era un hombre muy aliviado cuando el juez explicó whathad ocurrido.' los miembros del jurado no habían hablado antes, durante la audiencia el miércoles porque creían que señor Rashid había sido condenado por otros delitos.