Islington Tribune - by TOM FOOT Published: 11 July 2008
Judge rules that addresses of murder accused stay secret
THE addresses of three youths accused of murdering teenager Ben Kinsella must not be published for fear of reprisals, a judge has ruled. The defendants, who were charged last week, will be sent to separate prisons because of ill-feeling between them.
Deputy district judge Alan Jones made the order at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Friday at the request of the accused’s lawyers.
Ben’s grieving family wept in court as Juress Kika, 18, Michael Alleyne, 18, and Jade Braithwaite, 19, were brought into the dock.
Police were forced to keep friends of the accused out of the packed public gallery as tensions rose.
One girl was told to “go and see him in jail tomorrow”.
Prosecutor David Davies told the court there was no need to read out the addresses of the defendants because “there are concerns that there may be reprisals”.
He asked that Mr Braithwaite be sent to a separate prison from the other defendants because of “ill-feeling” between them.
The judge told the defendants they were being remanded into custody because there was a “likelihood of interference with prosecution witnesses and for your own protection”.
Each defendant left the dock to angry shouts and threats from the public gallery.
No applications were made for bail and all three will be remanded in custody pending a plea and case management hearing, due to held at the Old Bailey on October 13.