Knob head is IMO a lucky fella, and maybe should have been spending a few months with his scumbag stepson.
Stepdad of taxi driver killer Oliver Pugh forced teen's trial to be restarted - costing taxpayers £30khttps://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/m ... r-27299867
Oliver Pugh, left, and stepdad Byron Holiday.The stepdad of a teenage killer caused havoc at his trial by 'foolishly' taking a picture of a juror, it can now be revealed. Oliver Pugh, aged 19, was found guilty of murder for stabbing taxi driver Mohammed Istakhar to death in Braggs Farm Lane, Solihull, in the early hours of November 29 last year.
But his trial at Birmingham Crown Court was halted for three days and ultimately restarted after his stepfather Byron Holiday sparked a police investigation at the beginning of the proceedings. The setback cost £30,000 of public money.
Reporting restrictions meant the incident could not be detailed until now to avoid prejudicing the trial. The case was initially opened by the prosecution on June 12 this year, but the next morning a female juror submitted a note to the court raising concerns.
It was alleged that Mr Holiday had taken a photograph of her as she stood in the queue outside court waiting to go in. Police officers later quizzed him and found the image in the deleted files section of his phone.
Mr Holiday was summoned into court to provide an explanation. Judge Simon Drew KC warned if he was found to have acted in contempt or court he could be fined, imprisoned or both. He gave him the opportunity to seek legal advice but Mr Holiday opted to deal with the matter there and then instead.
The 46-year-old, from Solihull, took to the witness box and confirmed his name, age, address and the fact he was Pugh's stepdad. He said: "I have been giving a running commentary back home and I was talking on my phone. Absent-mindedly I was saying I was going in. I said I could see the jurors coming up so it was time to go in.
"As I did it I realised it was a silly thing to do and deleted it. That was it. I'm so sorry. It was just a stupid moment. I didn't realise the severity of my actions. I'm sorry for wasting your time and everyone else's time in the room."
Mr Holiday further described his actions as 'idiotic'. Judge Drew accepted the explanation and took no further action against him. He told him: "It was a foolish act on your behalf and without thinking of the consequences rather than anything done to do any mischief as far as this case is concerned.
"I do need to spell this out to you, what you have done is a very serious matter. I could have dealt with you for contempt, found you in contempt and imposed a short sentence of imprisonment."
Judge Drew did, however, discharge the jury and re-selected a new panel with the case having to be opened for a second time in a matter of days. He added: "These courts have to ensure the trial process is particularly protected and in particular jurors feel safe to come in and out of court.
"The juror who spotted you was right and you can understand how anxious she would have been. These days people press send of a photograph long before they engage their minds as to the consequences of their actions.
"The consequences of what you have done are that I have had to adjourn the case and discharge the jury. Three days of court time have been taken up and used. It costs £10,000 a day to run a courtroom."
The judge did not order Mr Holiday to pay any costs and permitted him to attend the rest of the trial but warned 'everybody will be keeping an eye on you'.
The trial heard how Pugh and co-defendant Luca De-Fazio, 18, had been to Rosies bar on Broad Street in Birmingham city centre on November 28 before they caught 44-year-old Mr Istakhar's taxi back to Solihull the following morning. The prosecution case was that the driver was intentionally lured back to Braggs Farm Lane on the pretence of the teenagers collecting his fare from a caravan, but ultimately he was stabbed to death and his car was stolen.
CCTV showed the victim running away from Pugh with De-Fazio some distance behind. Pugh, of New Meadow Close, Shirley, was found guilty of murder and possession of a bladed article. He will be sentenced on September 22.
De-Fazio was cleared of murder but had already admitted possession of a bladed article for which he received one month's imprisonment.
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