Bridgetown.
Marlene Simpson was permanently banned from jury duty yesterday, after four of her fellow jurors told the court that they had seen her in conversation with the father of the Ricardo Forde, whose murder has been the subject of Jamal O'Brien Stuart's trial in the No.5 Supreme Court before Justice Randall Worrell.
The developments occurred as the trial was on the verge of being decided, with Justice Worrell about to give his summation, when
Principal Crown Counsel Wanda Blair informed the court that the father of the deceased man, had informed her that an elderly juror had told him last Friday, that the young jurors had already reach a verdict.
Justice Worrell immediately held an enquiry and Simpson categorically denied speaking,seeing or even knowing the man,even after he identified her in the court.
One by one the other 11 jurors were called and, while all denied discussing the case, four recalled seeing Simpson talking to the father of the deceased man.
This prompted an upset Justice Worrell to declare: "I hope that your name is totally erased from the jurors' list and you do not serve on any jury again, ever at all".
"It is clear that the ends of justice cannot be served when something like this has transpired, we try to out of our way by speaking to jurors and warning them day in and day out, and still something like happened", he added.
Justice Worrell called the events a monumental waste of time discharged the jurors and declared a mistrial.
