He ‘claimed to have attended but left in panic’ before refusing to return to Liverpool Crown Court
Liverpool Crown Court(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A man could face prison after declaring that he “had no interest” in completing jury duty. Andrew Broda was summonsed to serve as a juror at Liverpool Crown Court beginning on May 19 this year, but failed to show up on that date.
The 56-year-old, of Upper Parliament Street in Toxteth, went on to call the court the following day “claiming to have attended but to have left in panic”. He was described as being “aggressive” on the phone and refused to attend for the remainder of his two weeks of scheduled service.
Having been written to on May 21 and warned that he could be found in contempt of court if he remained absent, Broda went on to email the court stating that he “had a panic attack, went home and went to bed”. He added that he “knew he should have handled the situation differently” and “apologised for the trouble he caused”, but failed to provide any medical evidence for his condition.
Broda was therefore warned to attend the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts on Friday this week in order to “show cause”, or explain his absence. However, he then sent another email stating that he “couldn’t because he had a funeral to attend”, but added that he “wished to plead guilty in his absence” and said he “couldn’t do jury service because he had suicidal feelings and had no interest”.
Judge Neil Flewitt KC fined an absent Broda, who told the court that he was on benefits and acted as a carer to his 94-year-old mum, £250 as a result. He will be required to pay this sum within three months or serve 14 days in jail in default.
Broda was given a further 56 days to appeal against the finding of contempt or the level of fine. Judge Flewitt said: “The juror has had a number of opportunities to provide medical or other evidence to support his non attendance.
“He has also had the opportunity to attend today to explain his situation, and has failed to do so. Against that background, I am satisfied that he is in contempt of court and I so find.
“Attendance for jury service is not only a civic responsibility, but also a legal obligation. Jurors play a vital role in upholding the integrity of the justice system by ensuring that trials are conducted fairly and in accordance with the law.
“Jury service is a cornerstone of the justice system and requires participation from all walks of life. If someone is summonsed for jury service, their cooperation is essentially in maintaining the rule of law and ensuring that justice is served.”