View Full Version : Juror Matthew Banks says false illness 'was stupid'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-16288257
A juror who pretended he was sick so he could go to a West End musical, has been jailed for two weeks.
Matthew Banks, 19, told officials at Manchester Crown Court he was ill, but he had actually gone to London.
The trial Banks - who saw Chicago - was a juror for was halted for a day with the judge sending the jury home.
Judge Martin Rudland labelled the student "frivolous" and ordered he serve a 14-day sentence at a Young Offenders' Institution.
Judge Rudland said he was jailing Banks, who could spend Christmas in prison, for contempt of court "with a heavy heart" but that lying to court officials for such a frivolous reason was a serious offence.
The week-long trial later continued in Banks' absence with the remaining 11 jurors reaching a verdict, Judicial Communications Office officials said.
The student should have paid attention to the induction and taken this particular responsibility of citizenship more seriously ..... :idc:
Livia
21-12-2011, 09:12 PM
Being a juror is a serious business. Like you say, I'm surprised he hadn't cottoned on to that fact.
Pyramid*
21-12-2011, 10:07 PM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-16288257
The student should have paid attention to the induction and taken this particular responsibility of citizenship more seriously ..... :idc:
What IS IT with 19 year old students these days. Ah dunno.
Being the militant hard mare I am - I see not a thing wrong with this. Some of the young adults in this country need to learn that along with adult life, comes that thing known as responsibility.
Time they brought back national service as well. Give some of them something to bliddy well moan about.
Mystic Mock
21-12-2011, 10:09 PM
Lmao what a ridiculous reason to skip being a jury member.
Yeah, it's wise for a juror to keep a low profile and not cross His Lordship ..... ;)
What IS IT with 19 year old students these days. Ah dunno.
Being the militant hard mare I am - I see not a thing wrong with this. Some of the young adults in this country need to learn that along with adult life, comes that thing known as responsibility.
Time they brought back national service as well. Give some of them something to bliddy well moan about.
Personally, I'm all for the birch and transportation to the colonies, too ..... :idc:
:laugh2:
What IS IT with 19 year old students these days. Ah dunno.
Being the militant hard mare I am - I see not a thing wrong with this. Some of the young adults in this country need to learn that along with adult life, comes that thing known as responsibility.
Time they brought back national service as well. Give some of them something to bliddy well moan about.
Bit of an overraction, talk about tarring everyone with the same brush!
Shasown
21-12-2011, 10:27 PM
Personally, I'm all for the birch and transportation to the colonies, too ..... :idc:
:laugh2:
Yeah me too.
Whip me whip me but dont break the skin
Then ship me off to settle in Australia, do I get to take the kids?
Bondai Beach here I come.
Pyramid*
21-12-2011, 10:34 PM
What IS IT with 19 year old students these days. Ah dunno.
Being the militant hard mare I am - I see not a thing wrong with this. Some of the young adults in this country need to learn that along with adult life, comes that thing known as responsibility.
Time they brought back national service as well. Give some of them something to bliddy well moan about.
Bit of an overraction, talk about tarring everyone with the same brush!
Sarcasm Tom, lowest form of wit, but highest form of intelligence. ;) Validated by the fllippant Ah dunno comment. Also migitaged by the use of the word 'some' further on in my post - twice!
I have to agree with Shasown here on this one: the cons definately got the better deal with Oz......
Pyramid*
21-12-2011, 10:36 PM
Personally, I'm all for the birch and transportation to the colonies, too ..... :idc:
:laugh2:
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah....me too. :D
Would the death penalty be too much to ask for dealing with boy racers? Mmm.....I think so (but it would so bring down the cost of car insurance - there surely would be a benefit, safer roads, less congestion, less emissions to damage the planet). I think I've built up a good case here..... Can we go for that one too please? Pretty please?
:D
Sarcasm Tom, lowest form of wit, but highest form of intelligence. ;) Validated by the fllippant Ah dunno comment. Also migitaged by the use of the word 'some' further on in my post - twice!
I have to agree with Shasown here on this one: the cons definately got the better deal with Oz......
Sarcasm doesn't come across well on the internet :blush2:
Pyramid*
21-12-2011, 10:43 PM
Sarcasm doesn't come across well on the internet :blush2:
TBF, a wee smiley would have helped convey the message - my fault not yours! Omah most likely knew what I was getting at in respect of the humour (re the 19 student fare dodger!) :hugesmile:
Shasown
21-12-2011, 10:48 PM
Sarcasm doesn't come across well on the internet :blush2:
Which is why more and more people are advocating the use of sarcasm markers, for those moments when you care enough to throw in a really subtle one e.g. ¬¬.
Or some of the wierd and wonderful unicode for Eastern European punctation.
Pyramid*
21-12-2011, 10:58 PM
Which is why more and more people are advocating the use of sarcasm markers, for those moments when you care enough to throw in a really subtle one e.g. ¬¬.
Or some of the wierd and wonderful unicode for Eastern European punctation.
Better they advocate correct spelling first though, never mind sarcasm markers. ;)
*Can we chuck you in the nick for a night for that, surely it's such a heinous crime?*
Shasown
21-12-2011, 11:09 PM
Better they advocate correct spelling first though, never mind sarcasm markers. ;)
*Can we chuck you in the nick for a night for that, surely it's such a heinous crime?*
Kin hell
Witch his Wye moor and moor pee pull
Foo King pre dick tiff tie pin and spelt cheques
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
21-12-2011, 11:38 PM
thats ****ing ridiculous :bored:
Pyramid*
21-12-2011, 11:44 PM
Kin hell
Witch his Wye moor and moor pee pull
Foo King pre dick tiff tie pin and spelt cheques
:D
Pyramid*
21-12-2011, 11:46 PM
thats ****ing ridiculous :bored:
Which - the OP story or Shasown's last post! :D
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
21-12-2011, 11:49 PM
the story
and the sentencing is ridic i meant not him skipping jury duty
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
21-12-2011, 11:49 PM
the story
and the sentencing is ridic i meant not him skipping jury duty
I get why people are inclined to try and get out of doing it - it's often inconvenient (any plans you might have had pretty much have to be cancelled; you need to take time off work) and I guess in some cases can be pretty scarring, depending on the nature of the trial. But mostly it's just very boring, I imagine, going by my brief experience in court as a witness - I had to wait around 4 hours before I got to go in and give my evidence, which took all of 10 minutes. I think having to sit through the entire length of the proceedings would be torture, I'm surprised I've never been called up to date actually - plenty of my friends have been.
Tom4784
22-12-2011, 12:57 AM
He could have at least skipped it for a GOOD musical.
Shasown
22-12-2011, 01:04 AM
the story
and the sentencing is ridic i meant not him skipping jury duty
The sentence is bang on.
The trial lasted a week, he will do a week in jail. Its a short sentence you only do half the time.
Dont forget though there is a knock on effect, which he wont be too impressed by. If any job he applies for asks about unspent convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act he has to declare he received a prison sentence for the next seven years. Sort of undermines anything he writes about civic duties and responsibility in his CV or application form.
Shaun
22-12-2011, 01:49 AM
Is there actually a way one can just avoid doing jury duty? I mean it seems a bit curious to have to do something like that.
-personally would want to-
Is there actually a way one can just avoid doing jury duty? I mean it seems a bit curious to have to do something like that.
-personally would want to-
Feign madness or adopt a couple of children/a mad granny ..... ;)
Shasown
22-12-2011, 04:04 AM
Is there actually a way one can just avoid doing jury duty? I mean it seems a bit curious to have to do something like that.
-personally would want to-
You can be excused jury service if you fall into certain categories:
Some types of medical treatment
Be mentally unfit
Certain types of work commitment
Important family commitments, weddings holidays funerals etc
Recently done jury service
Join up
Certain areas of police work are excused as well
You will be disqualified if you have been convicted of certain types of offences, whilst on bail and for a period of time after doing a prison sentence or other other types of punishment.
What a silly boy, surely he should be hung? [/exaggeration]
joeysteele
22-12-2011, 06:51 AM
What IS IT with 19 year old students these days. Ah dunno.
Being the militant hard mare I am - I see not a thing wrong with this. Some of the young adults in this country need to learn that along with adult life, comes that thing known as responsibility.
Time they brought back national service as well. Give some of them something to bliddy well moan about.
:joker: I know, 19 year old students are getting a bad press right now, I will be glad when I turn 20 soon.:joker::joker:
On the more serious side though, how daft,jury service is massively important, he must have been made aware of that fact as Livia points out too.
As jf said it is a daft reason to skip jury service, it's near impossible to get out of it anyway without a really good reason. To skip a day during a trial is wrong, even more so for his actual reason,I am surprised he isn't getting some punishment for doing so, after all he misled the authorities as to his reason for not turning up for the day.
arista
22-12-2011, 06:57 AM
Being a juror is a serious business. Like you say, I'm surprised he hadn't cottoned on to that fact.
19 year olds are into scams
its the Teen way of life.
joeysteele
22-12-2011, 01:13 PM
Oh crumbs, I must start to read the openeing posts properly, I missed where he had been jailed for 2 weeks.
Totally understandable, jury service is an important citizen duty and it affects others lives as well as the person on trial,not to mention the expense of the trial.
I agree with it,although it may seem harsh to some, 2 weeks is not a long time and it is a desertion of official and expected duty too, so really he got off lightly.
Pyramid*
22-12-2011, 01:15 PM
He could have at least skipped it for a GOOD musical.
If he'd gone to see CATS, I'd have excused him without a second thought.
:D
Oh crumbs, I must start to read the openeing posts properly, I missed where he had been jailed for 2 weeks.
Totally understandable, jury service is an important citizen duty and it affects others lives as well as the person on trial,not to mention the expense of the trial.
I agree with it,although it may seem harsh to some, 2 weeks is not a long time and it is a desertion of official and expected duty too, so really he got off lightly.
Yeah, I would have preferred the pillory and a good birching ..... :evilgrin:
Pyramid*
22-12-2011, 02:12 PM
Yeah, I would have preferred the pillory and a good birching ..... :evilgrin:
hang about here: Joey.... he's 19. He's a student, has been known to partake of alcoholic beverage: :shocked:
surely hard time is due? Or at the very least - a good week spent here....
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQSxkmj1XQBX0yoCbQZ7e857goFif24b NrZ3Lpzvus80573l7gSaQ
:D
Shasown
22-12-2011, 02:27 PM
Oh crumbs, I must start to read the openeing posts properly, I missed where he had been jailed for 2 weeks.
Totally understandable, jury service is an important citizen duty and it affects others lives as well as the person on trial,not to mention the expense of the trial.
I agree with it,although it may seem harsh to some, 2 weeks is not a long time and it is a desertion of official and expected duty too, so really he got off lightly.
He didnt get off lightly, he got treated fairly, he will serve a week in prison then get released on remission for the second part of his sentence.
Then because he has received prison sentence he will find that for the next few years it has a knock on effect in his life.
A week inside is fair punishment for his stupidity, he knew he was going to see the show, so why didnt he just either rebook the london trip or get himself excused from jury service prior to the start of the trial in which he sat on?
Lets face it a few years ago the excusal rate for jury service was something like 70% of those called for jury service. So its no biggy getting off it.
If there is any sort of credence to this story, I blame his mum, its her attitude that shocks me most about this story. I reckon its all her fault so dont think we should be slagging teens off in general for this,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2076997/Juror-Matthew-Banks-jailed-Christmas-phoning-sick-halting-trial.html
Pyramid*
22-12-2011, 02:41 PM
He didnt get off lightly, he got treated fairly, he will serve a week in prison then get released on remission for the second part of his sentence.
Then because he has received prison sentence he will find that for the next few years it has a knock on effect in his life.
A week inside is fair punishment for his stupidity, he knew he was going to see the show, so why didnt he just either rebook the london trip or get himself excused from jury service prior to the start of the trial in which he sat on?
Lets face it a few years ago the excusal rate for jury service was something like 70% of those called for jury service. So its no biggy getting off it.
If there is any sort of credence to this story, I blame his mum, its her attitude that shocks me most about this story. I reckon its all her fault so dont think we should be slagging teens off in general for this,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2076997/Juror-Matthew-Banks-jailed-Christmas-phoning-sick-halting-trial.html
Not the mum's fault......the boyfriend let the cat out of the bag
His boyfriend Christian Orr answered the phone and said Banks was not there because he had ‘gone to London to see a show’.
Shasown
22-12-2011, 02:50 PM
Not the mum's fault......the boyfriend let the cat out of the bag
[/COLOR][/LEFT]
The boyfriend was just daft.
Think about it, chances are the mum brought the boy up, nurtured him, etc etc, the trip was for her.
I bet when she found out he was on jury duty she said "you will have to get it cancelled, we have the theatre trip."
He thought 'civic duty and all that, but will disappoint mummy, cant be having that, I know can do both will just pull a sickie'
Mum let him get away with that, after all he is as she puts it a "naive 19 year old"
Pyramid*
22-12-2011, 02:56 PM
The boyfriend was just daft.
Think about it, chances are the mum brought the boy up, nurtured him, etc etc, the trip was for her.
I bet when she found out he was on jury duty she said "you will have to get it cancelled, we have the theatre trip."
He thought 'civic duty and all that, but will disappoint mummy, cant be having that, I know can do both will just pull a sickie'
Mum let him get away with that, after all he is as she puts it a "naive 19 year old"
He probably took a train.
He probably took a wee shandy or two.
He's 19.
He's a student.
What hope is there for the modern world. We are all doomed. Doomed.
Shasown
22-12-2011, 02:59 PM
He probably took a train.
He probably took a wee shandy or two.
He's 19.
He's a student.
What hope is there for the modern world. We are all doomed. Doomed.
I blame the parents, sloppy parenting standards, lower morals. Setting bad examples and buying them Xboxes and Playstations.
But who let the parents get away with such parenting slip up and bad parental decisions, yes thats right the grandparents, so there you are
Its the grandparents fault. Jail all the oaps, its their fault this damned country is in the mess its in.
This country just isnt the same since the old king died
Pyramid*
22-12-2011, 03:05 PM
I blame the parents, sloppy parenting standards, lower morals. Setting bad examples and buying them Xboxes and Playstations.
But who let the parents get away with such parenting slip up and bad parental decisions, yes thats right the grandparents, so there you are
Its the grandparents fault. Jail all the oaps, its their fault this damned country is in the mess its in.
This country just isnt the same since the old king died
Not my granny's fault: she KNEW what she was doing - raised a good 'un here. :devil:
Shasown
22-12-2011, 03:09 PM
Not my granny's fault: she KNEW what she was doing - raised a good 'un here. :devil:
Never said it was your granny's fault, bet she didnt buy you an Xbox did she?
The "good 'un" point is open to debate though.
Pyramid*
22-12-2011, 03:37 PM
Never said it was your granny's fault, bet she didnt buy you an Xbox did she?
The "good 'un" point is open to debate though.
You are spot on. no XBox. I was truly a neglected child. :bawling:
You're also spot on about ''good 'un'' being open to debate - the correct phrase is of course, "Absolutely Fabulous!". :devil: Get me eh!! :D
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-16315486
A juror who was detained after he pretended to be sick so that he could go to a West End musical has said it was a "very stupid thing to do".
Matthew Banks, 19, from Staffordshire, was sentenced to 14 days in a young offenders institution after a judge found him to be in contempt of court.
He went to see Chicago in London despite telling court staff he was ill.
After being freed on Friday five days into the sentence, the student said: "I thought I would just get a fine."
The trial at Manchester Crown Court was halted for a day as other jurors were sent home because of Banks' absence.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live's Victoria Derbyshire, Banks said: "It was a very stupid thing to do - I genuinely did not believe I would put off the trial.
"I had already served two weeks and I was on my last day of jury service."
Sentencing him on Monday, Judge Martin Rudland said lying to court officials for such a frivolous reason was a serious offence.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said offenders serving a 14-day sentence were released after seven days and this could be brought forward if the release date fell on a weekend or bank holiday.
Who's a lucky boy, then ..... home for Xmas ..... ;)
arista
23-12-2011, 12:50 PM
thats ****ing ridiculous :bored:
You Fecking What?
That Whole Court was Stopped.
so Mummy Boy could go and get Happy at a Live Show.
Mummy Boy did 4 Days
in all.
Get The Feck Over it.
Well done The Judge
warning others the Fecking Costs of Closing a Case Down.
arista
23-12-2011, 12:53 PM
Who's a lucky boy, then ..... home for Xmas ..... ;)
He was just on ITV1News
They were terrible to me in my cell,
he crys. (just 4 days)
His Dad says we have to go outside with him.
Feck Me - He was not Shot.
Well Done The Wise Judge.
Pyramid*
23-12-2011, 12:56 PM
He was just on ITV1News
They were terrible to me in my cell,
he crys. (just 4 days)
His Dad says we have to go outside with him.
Feck Me - He was not Shot.
Well Done The Wise Judge.
Big enough to do the crime - not big enough to do the time.
Good - maybe he'll have learned his lesson after this.
Shasown
23-12-2011, 12:58 PM
He was just on ITV1News
They were terrible to me in my cell,
he crys. (just 4 days)
His Dad says we have to go outside with him.
Feck Me - He was not Shot.
Well Done The Wise Judge.
Arrr did those nasty criminals call him names, or did they make him have botty sex?
arista
23-12-2011, 12:59 PM
Big enough to do the crime - not big enough to do the time.
Good - maybe he'll have learned his lesson after this.
Yes his Whole Life is Gone.
His Attitude.
Only 4 Fecking Days
Lucky Git
arista
23-12-2011, 01:00 PM
Arrr did those nasty criminals call him names, or did they make him have botty sex?
Yes they banged on his Door
he is Haunted,
His Mother needs to Smack him
not cuddle him
Life In The City.
Pyramid*
23-12-2011, 01:06 PM
Arrr did those nasty criminals call him names, or did they make him have botty sex?
Should've sent the little git upto one of Scotland's toughiest......give him something to greet about.
Pyramid*
23-12-2011, 01:07 PM
Yes they banged on his Door
he is Haunted,
His Mother needs to Smack him
not cuddle him
Life In The City.
He's probably enjoy that. :shocked:
He's probably enjoy that.
..... and the botty sex ..... :laugh3:
Pyramid*
23-12-2011, 01:28 PM
..... and the botty sex ..... :laugh3:
Aye right enough: was he crying because he had to leave.......maybe that was it!
Aye right enough: was he crying because he had to leave.......maybe that was it!
Some Young Offenders are great hairy hulking brutes - he may have found the attraction strangely compelling ..... :evilgrin:
Pyramid*
23-12-2011, 01:36 PM
Yes they banged on his Door
he is Haunted,
His Mother needs to Smack him
not cuddle him
Life In The City.
somehow that BIB seems to have such a different meaning.
:blush2:
He should have pretended to have tourettes..stood up and screamed 'Guilty you ****ing **** **** ****...........at 5minute intervals
Tom4784
23-12-2011, 01:49 PM
Has this forum suddenly developed a fetish for 19 year old boys are what? So many topics about them :laugh:
arista
23-12-2011, 01:55 PM
Has this forum suddenly developed a fetish for 19 year old boys are what? So many topics about them :laugh:
No its just so Many Scams
are on the TV News
who happen top be 19.
Pyramid*
23-12-2011, 01:57 PM
Has this forum suddenly developed a fetish for 19 year old boys are what? So many topics about them :laugh:
Not at all..... it's just that there seems to be quite a lot of idiotic and pathetic 19 year old wasters going around of late - don't you read the newspapers?.
Has this forum suddenly developed a fetish for 19 year old boys are what? So many topics about them :laugh:
19 is the new terrible two's......
Pyramid*
23-12-2011, 02:16 PM
19 is the new terrible two's......
Even more so when they are students....that seems to be the flavour of the month as far as News Stories go!
Pyramid*
23-12-2011, 02:17 PM
He should have pretended to have tourettes..stood up and screamed 'Guilty you ****ing **** **** ****...........at 5minute intervals
Give him time to think about such excuses ......his wee brain isn't fully formed yet. Clearly.....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16319324
http://www.itn.co.uk/uk/35712/West+End+juror+released+from+prison
He knows he was stupid, he's had a good scare and seems sorry enough, so, AFAIC, case closed.
arista
23-12-2011, 02:52 PM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16319324
He knows he was stupid and seems sorry enough, so, AFAIC, case closed.
No he should get away from Media.
He is Pathetic.
Pyramid*
23-12-2011, 03:09 PM
No he should get away from Media.
He is Pathetic.
:thumbs:
bleat bleat bleat, poor student, tickets expensive for a student, bleat, bleat, bleat.
He looks like a dickhead as well as being one.
Shaun
23-12-2011, 06:26 PM
rational, sound judgment in here.
Can't believe his family are going to even attempt to appeal this. They haven't got a leg to stand on particularly as he only served 4 out of 14 days
Contempt of court is serious and the logistics of putting a court case together are a nightmare. If he can't understand the severity then maybe theres a wider issue here that needs addressing
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