Poor girl didn’t realise how much trouble the Mp3 player would get her into.
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The attorney general has decided a juror who allegedly listened to music during a murder trial will face no further legal action.
Ruhela Khanom, in her 20s, was accused of hiding an MP3 player and earphones beneath an Islamic hijab or headscarf.
She was discharged at the Blackfriars Crown Court trial of Alan Wicks, later jailed for life for murdering his wife. The attorney general has decided not to refer the matter to the High Court because of insufficient evidence.
Ms Khanom was discharged by the trial judge, Judge Roger Chapple, after the prosecutor Peter Clarke QC claimed the juror had not been paying attention while the defendant was in the witness box giving key evidence.
Having looked very carefully at this case at the heart of is this whether this lady deliberately ignored the evidence
At the end of the trial, it was also revealed Ms Khanom had repeatedly tried to avoid jury service.
During the trial, Judge Chapple warned her after she appeared to be doodling on a pad while evidence was being read out.
Mr Clarke initially asked for her to be discharged, but the judge resisted, saying jurors could only be discharged for “very, very serious and improper behaviour”.
But the following day one of the defence lawyers thought she spotted a wire under the hijab.
Later the judge said he had thought he could hear “tinny music” during the trial but dismissed it as his imagination.
The trial judge referred the matter to Judge Aidan Marron QC who considered the matter earlier this month.
Judge Marron said: "The police have investigated this matter and assembled a file.
"Having looked very carefully at this case at the heart of is this whether this lady deliberately ignored the evidence.
"That means that she was listening to music during the course of the evidence.
"Although there may be allegations she was persistently late and was quite indifferent to listening to the evidence and studying documentation… these matters demonstrate mindset but do not constitute contempt of court.
“The fundamental allegation is whether she was deliberately ignoring the evidence by listening to music.”
A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: “The attorney general has taken the decision not to prosecute based on the evidence before her. But there have been instances in the past of jurors doing inappropriate things and having been penalised for it.”
She said the law was tightened a few years ago to reduce the number of people able to excuse themselves from jury service.
