http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/30000-cost-of-rape-trial-that-was-abandoned-after-one-day-29994644.html
10
February 2014
£30,000: cost
of rape trial that was abandoned after one day
A rape trial
which had to be aborted amid concerns an interpreter was giving inaccurate and
unreliable translations has left the taxpayer with a £30,000 bill.
The
Department of Justice has launched an inquiry into how the unregistered
interpreter was employed at Craigavon Crown Court last month.
The
case – which involved two Lithuanian men – was abandoned after the judge said
it was irreparably compromised.
It
has now emerged that the aborted trial – which lasted just a day – will cost at
least £30,000.
The
estimated cost does not include the defendants' legal aid.
The
figure was disclosed in response to an Assembly question from the DUP's Lord
Morrow.
The
MLA said he was appalled by the case, and believes the true cost will be much
higher. "How the case got to the Crown Court stage with inept
interpretational services is beyond me," he said. The court was trying the
case of Lithuanian men Darius Porcikas (24) and Vytautas Mikulinas (23).
Porcikas,
from Upper Edward Street in Newry, faced 14 charges, including five counts of
rape, two of sexual assault, two of false imprisonment, causing actual bodily
harm and assault, all in relation to a female alleged victim.
He
also faced two further charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and
actual bodily harm in relation to her ex-partner. Mikulinas, from Birch Hill
Park in Portadown, faced a charge of causing actual bodily harm to the woman's
ex-partner.
Both
men deny the charges.
But
after the opening day of the trial, prosecuting QC Richard Weir said other
interpreters had raised concerns about the standard of translation of the
Lithuanian alleged victim's evidence.
The
judge abandoned the trial, saying it had been "irreparably
compromised". A new trial is expected to open next month.
Lord
Morrow said: "Only for the astuteness of a number of other interpreters
involved in the case who realised the translations were inaccurate, the matter
could have had extremely serious consequences, far and above the cost
implications. That said, the costs – which it must be stressed are estimated
and may prove conservative – are very high."
In
a separate answer, Mr Ford confirmed an investigation into the matter was under
way.
"An
investigation into the matter has been commenced by the DoJ contract
manager," he said. "The investigation is being conducted under the
terms of the contract with the current service provider, and is ongoing."
A
PPS spokesperson said: "The PPS, Northern
Ireland Court Service and PSNI have a
joint contract with the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM)
for the supply of interpreter services. This contract is managed by the DoJ.
"NICEM
source and provide interpreters at the request of PPS for prosecution
witnesses. The circumstances around this trial are the subject of an ongoing
enquiry and a re-trial of the case itself and we will be unable to comment
further until that enquiry is completed and until the case itself is concluded
before the courts."
