Papers punished for Yeates stories

Two newspapers have been fined for contempt of court over published articles relating to Christopher Jefferies
12 April 2012

Two newspapers have been fined by the High Court over articles which created "substantial risks to the course of justice" in the wake of the killing of landscape architect Joanna Yeates.

Three leading judges in London handed out a £50,000 penalty to the Daily Mirror and one of £18,000 to The Sun after they were found guilty of contempt of court.

Contempt proceedings were brought against the publishers of the two tabloids by Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC over stories published after the arrest of Miss Yeates's landlord Christopher Jefferies on suspicion of her murder in December 2010.

The fines were imposed by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Owen, who ruled that the newspapers were in contempt over reports about Mr Jefferies, a retired schoolmaster in his 60s.

Earlier, at separate High Court proceedings, Mr Jefferies accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages from eight newspapers over allegations made against him over Miss Yeates's death.

Miss Yeates, 25, who lived in Clifton, Bristol, disappeared on December 17 2010 after going for Christmas drinks with colleagues. Her frozen body was found on a roadside verge in Failand, Somerset, on Christmas Day.

Mr Jefferies was arrested on December 30. He was subsequently released without charge.

Dutch engineer Vincent Tabak, 33, who lived next door to Miss Yeates, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murder. He is due to go on trial accused of murder at Bristol Crown Court in October.

Lord Judge said there was no doubt about the identity of the man who killed Miss Yeates "or that Mr Jefferies is innocent of any involvement in it". However, at the time the articles were published he was under arrest and proceedings against him were active.

Mr Grieve said he was "very pleased" with the outcome, and added: "I thought these were flagrant contempts."

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