jon_s
06-10-2005, 10:25 AM
Haha, this got passed onto me earlier on today..
"A case against The Sun newspaper for a breach of the Sexual Offences Act was dropped last week - after the CPS accidentally charged the wrong publisher.
The case should have been brought against The Sun's publishers, News Group Newspapers, for allegedly naming the victim of a sexual assault. However, the bright sparks at the CPS issued proceedings against 'News International'. However, when the case reached court room, The Sun's lawyer Henri Brandman, rather smugly pointed out that not only was the wrong defendant charged, but there wasn't actually any legal entity with the name 'News International'.
Brandman, a man who's presumably been watching a bit too much of the Jackson trial, then played his celebrity trump card by pulling out employment contracts for two Sun columnists - Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff and Mystic Meg - which clearly showed News Group Newspapers as the publisher.
The CPS' barrister, Mark Carroll, resorted to producing some Google internet searches showing that if you search for 'news international' and follow a couple of links you can eventually get through to The Sun's website.
The court was not impressed, and awarded costs to News Group Newspapers."
"A case against The Sun newspaper for a breach of the Sexual Offences Act was dropped last week - after the CPS accidentally charged the wrong publisher.
The case should have been brought against The Sun's publishers, News Group Newspapers, for allegedly naming the victim of a sexual assault. However, the bright sparks at the CPS issued proceedings against 'News International'. However, when the case reached court room, The Sun's lawyer Henri Brandman, rather smugly pointed out that not only was the wrong defendant charged, but there wasn't actually any legal entity with the name 'News International'.
Brandman, a man who's presumably been watching a bit too much of the Jackson trial, then played his celebrity trump card by pulling out employment contracts for two Sun columnists - Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff and Mystic Meg - which clearly showed News Group Newspapers as the publisher.
The CPS' barrister, Mark Carroll, resorted to producing some Google internet searches showing that if you search for 'news international' and follow a couple of links you can eventually get through to The Sun's website.
The court was not impressed, and awarded costs to News Group Newspapers."