[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-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 .....