Court Report: 17/11/2020 @ Snaresbrook Crown Court
I am in Courtroom 4 before His Honour Judge M Zeidman QC (The Honorary Recorder of Redbridge) for a Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing.
The court is told on the 8th June 2019 the defendant was in a car which was subjected to a stop and search by police. The defendant was found to have the Class A drug Diamorphine, and the Class A drug Crack Cocaine both contained inside a package within his pocket. It was the position of the Crown that he both possessed these drugs and intended to supply them to others.
The defendant’s barrister explained that their position was that the other occupant inside the car, who was not present in court, was the one who had placed the package inside his pocket prior to the search.
HHJ Zeidman QC explained that due to the “huge backlog” priority was given to cases where certain factors applied. He explained this may be that the defendants were being held in prison prior to trial or where the offence was of a sexual nature.
Having been told that none of these factors apply HHJ Zeidman QC said “I’m very sorry you have to wait so long” as he set a trial date, with a time estimate of 4-days, for the week beginning 20th June 2022. This is some 3 years after the offence was alleged to have been committed.
I’ve popped it in the diary.
Mouse in the Court 