Juror Booted After Smiling and Saying “Bye Boys” to PC Andrew Harper’s Killers
A juror was kicked off PC Andrew Harper’s manslaughter trial after she was caught smiling and cheerily saying “bye boys” to the three men on trial for the officer’s death.
Shock as Juror Shows Friendly Gestures to Defendants
A security guard spotted the female juror acting in an “overtly friendly” way towards the defendants—Jaylor Long, Zackary Bowen, and James Cole—who stood accused in the tragic killing of PC Harper. The court clerk quickly raised the alarm with the judge.
Judge Slams Juror’s ‘Remarkable’ Behaviour
Mr Justice Edis didn’t hesitate to discharge her on July 20th, just before summing up the case after four intense weeks of evidence. He called her behaviour “overt and covert” and said it showed a “lack of impartiality.”
“It is therefore a little surprising to see a juror positively going out of their way to behave in what some might describe as an overtly friendly manner,” the judge said.
“The question is: ‘Does it demonstrate an apparent lack of impartiality?’ In my judgement, it does.”
Verdict Delivered, Widow Speaks Out
The remaining 11 jurors found Long, Bowen, and Cole guilty of manslaughter but cleared them of murder. The three men face sentencing next week, with life imprisonment the maximum sentence for the crime.
Outside court, an emotional Lissie Harper, widow of PC Andrew Harper, said she was “utterly shocked” and “immensely disappointed” by the verdict.
