The Court of Appeal, Jersey: Appeals of Curtis Warren and five others are rejected by the Court of Appeal, Jersey

Today, the Court of Appeal in Jersey has rejected the appeals against the convictions of Curtis Warren, Jonathan Welsh, James O’Brien, Jason Woodward, Paul Hunt and Oliver Lucas.

The six men were convicted on 7 October 2009 for conspiring to import cannabis, with a street value of £1 million, into the Island of Jersey.

Curtis Warren, Jonathan Welsh, James O’Brien and Jason Woodward had also applied for leave to appeal against their sentences. Mr Warren is currently serving a 13 year sentence in HMP Belmarsh. Mr Welsh is serving a 12 year sentence, Mr O’Brien is serving a 10 year sentence and Mr Woodward is serving a five year sentence at La Moye prison in Jersey. Mr Hunt and Mr Lucas did not make applications for leave to appeal against their sentences.

The Court of Appeal in Jersey today considered several separate points of law. The application for the discharge of juror number 125 was rejected; Warren, Welsh, O’Brien and Lucas were granted leave to appeal on disclosure, but the appeal was rejected. An application for leave to appeal on the grounds that the defence were unable to call three key witnesses during the trial was refused. A ‘fair trial’ application was also refused.

Advocate Michael Haines on behalf of Paul Hunt made an application on Sir Richard Tucker’s directions on conspiracy and this was also refused. The appeals of Warren, Welsh, O’Brien, Woodward, Hunt and Lucas were all rejected as the Panel found a miscarriage of justice had not occurred. Warren, Welsh, Woodward and O’Brien lost their appeals against sentence.

The applications for leave to appeal were heard over two days (Tuesday 23 March and Wednesday 24 March 2010) before a panel consisting of Dame Heather Steel, the President of the Court, Michael Jones QC and James McNeill QC.

In a judgement lasting three hours, the Court of Appeal panel said they were satisfied that all six men had received fair trials and therefore their convictions and sentences stood.

Notes to Editors
1. The text of the full judgement will be available to view on www.jerseylaw.je the week commencing 17 May 2010.
2. Further details about Jersey’s judicial processes can be found on www.jerseycourts.je

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