A Day In Court



Court Reporting

The front of Woking Magistrates Court



Today we were given the opportunity to visit Woking Magistrates Court for some live action in court reporting. Ready and eager to flex our shorthand muscles and after turning up an hour early (thanks Joe!) we saw three different cases, ranging from drink driving charges to a more serious case on possession of indecent photos of children. As soon as we had a story we were given permission to leave, and after about an hour we did just that.

Here are my two stories of the day:

Vandals’ vengeance

Vandals have pleaded guilty to three charges of harassment and damage after seeking vengeance on a school caretaker, a court has heard.

Leon Garman, 26, of Bonsey Lane, Addlestone, and another defendant who cannot be named due to their age were charged with harassment and two counts of vandalism at Woking Magistrates Court on Thursday the 21^st of October. Mr Garman pleaded guilty to all charges.

The two defendants tried to lure caretaker Dillan Dirani out of his home by saying that the school he worked at was on fire. When Mr Dirani refused to open his door he was threatened and harassed, said Julien Hunt of the prosecution. Garman shouted: “My names not Andy its f***ing Leon, I’ll f***ing kill you,” “I would have set you on fire (if you came outside),” said Mr Hunt.

The defendants later returned to the house drunk and begun vandalising Mr Dirani’s BMW car with sandbags before damaging his front door, said Mr Hunt. Police identified Garman’s fingerprints on the car following investigation.

Garman’s defence attorney David Castle said that Mr Dirani had been sexually harassing Garman’s partner who worked as a teaching assistant at the school. He added that Mr Dirani attempted to engage in “sexual liaison,” and made “remarks about her figure.” She later resigned her position as a result of the harassment, said Mr Castle.

Garman was fined a total of £180, with a further £70 in fees to the court and a £15 surcharge, to be paid by the 4^th of November 2010.

Caught out: Possession of indecent photos of children

A defendant has been committed to Crown Court after denying 11 charges of possession of indecent photos of children, a court has heard.

Ian Henderson, 60, of Teazlewood Park, Leatherhead, has been charged with 11 offences relating to the possession of indecent photos of children at Woking Magistrates Court on Thursday, October 21.

Henderson pleaded not guilty to all charges and has been granted unconditional bail awaiting trial. The court session is set for November 19, 2010, at Guildford Crown Court, Surrey.