‘Now you’re guilty... but we owe you £15’
Royal Mail manager Christine Jones came away from a court £15 better off - despite being found guilty of an offence for which she had previously been cleared.
Christine JonesJones, 53, of Station Road, Ridgmont, was cleared of a racially aggravated public order offence after a trial at Bedford Magistrates’ Court last April.
However, at the same time she was convicted of harassing her neighbour Alan Lawson between August and November 2008.
Both Jones and the Crown Prosecution Service appealed against the magistrates’ decisions and the case was sent to the High Court, London.
In a landmark turn-around, Mr Justice Duncan Ouseley allowed both appeals and sent the case back to the magistrates.
On Friday, the same bench acquitted Jones of the harassment charge and convicted her of the racially aggravated public order offence.
In a bizarre twist, they fined Jones £570 which was £15 less than the original fine of £585, meaning that the court now owed her the difference.
Jones told the magistrates it was fine as she had already paid the amount owed but they directed her to the fines office.
During the original trial last year, the magistrates found that Jones had, during an altercation with her neighbours Alan and Nilufar Lawson asked the eight-and-a-half month pregnant Mrs Lawson: “So he had to go to what country to buy you and get you pregnant?” However the justices found that the reason she committed the offence was because of animosity and that it was not racially motivated.
On Friday the magistrates reversed their decision and said: “We did find that Mrs Jones’ behaviour was abusive.
“In her recorded statement to the police she states that comments were made by herself along the lines of internet bride.
“We consider this statement to be racist as it implies that Mrs Lawson is foreign.
“In mitigation, you [Jones] accepted the High Court decision and you appear to be correcting matters.”
Jones told the court that her comments were not intended to be racist adding ‘I am not a racist and continue to work and socialise with people from a variety of backgrounds’.
She said: “It’s with much regret that Mrs Lawson became an unfortunate victim of the words I used.”
Jones added that she was sorry for any hurt that was caused and that she had been in discussion with the police about a restorative justice system which was a way of mediation.
In a victim personal statement, Mrs Lawson said that she feels very ‘uncomfortable’ when she sees Jones and finds herself waiting in the car for ages sometimes before Jones goes away.
Prosecutor Jim Davis said: “She says it’s a horrible way to feel and she finds it very hard when her daughter is with her.
“She says she’s not confident enough to walk past the defendant’s house and that in a perfect world she would like Christine Jones to be in her shoes for a while.”
So this woman was moved from MK mail centre to Bedford for allegedly making a racist comment. Now a court case where she is found guilty of a racist offence and what happens?
She is promoted and moved to her own office where she phones up people who are off sick! So now she doesn't have to face the nasty people on the floor who might give her stick!
Only in Royal Fail!
