Tulisa Contostavlos drugs trial Stopped by Judge-Charges Dismissed

Tulisa Contostavlos drugs trial Stopped by Judge-Charges Dismissed

Here is a prime example of how the justice system is supposed to work from England.
Ms Tulisa Contostavlos, 26, an internationally know performer was accused of being willing to broker a “cocaine deal” by Sun journalist Mazher Mahmood.
Today, in London, Judge Alistair McCreath told the Southwark Crown Court jury that the trial of Ms Contostavlos could not be allowed to go forward. The Judge told the jury that he had decided that the star prosecution witness Mazher Mahmood had lied in giving evidence. Mr. Mahmood claimed Ms Contostavlos, 26, had brokered a deal through her friend Mike GLC to supply Class A drugs.
Ms Contostavlos, the former N-Dubz singer and X Factor judge, had denied that she ever sold drugs or agreed to sell drugs.
The judge told the jury the case “cannot go any further” because there were “strong grounds to believe” that Mr Mahmood had “lied” at a hearing before the trial started.
Explaining his decision Judge McCreath said: “Where there has been some aspect of the investigation or prosecution of a crime which is tainted in some way by serious misconduct to the point that the integrity of the court would be compromised by allowing the trial to go ahead, in that sense the court would be seen to be sanctioning or colluding in that sort of behaviour, then the court has no alternative but to say ‘This case must go no further’.”
In his written statement, Judge McCreath, said: “When he [Mr Mahmood] gave evidence last week, he was asked questions on the same topic and gave answers entirely inconsistent with his earlier evidence.”
The judge said he therefore had “strong grounds” to believe Mr Mahmood had lied to conceal the fact that he manipulated his driver to support his accusation.
Unfortunately, in the United States, our courts would “let the jury decide” if a state witness was “committing perjury.” Often in our country the entire case against the citizen who chooses to go to trial consist of the testimony of paid informants and co-defendants who “have made deals” to save their own skins.
We can only hope the day comes, when American judges will demonstrate the same kind of fortitude and thirst for justice that Judge Alistair McCreath of the Southwark Crown Court did.
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