The applicant is a British citizen born in 1961 and currently detained in HM Prison Old Elvet, Durham. Before the Court, he is represented by Mr. B.T. Row, a solicitor practising in Newcastle. The facts of the case, as submitted by the parties, may be summarised as follows.
On 17 June 1993 the applicant was arrested and, together with his brother, charged with burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary. After being charged, the applicant and his brother were released on conditional bail.
Committal papers were served on the defence on 21 September 1993, following the completion of the police investigation. The applicant’s representatives requested an “old style” committal hearing, which would have involved hearing oral evidence from ten prosecution witnesses over two days. It was not possible for the North Tyneside Magistrates Court to schedule a two-day hearing before 4 January 1994. On that date the defence decided to proceed on the basis of written statements under the shortened committal procedure (provided for by section 6(2) of the Magistrates Courts Act 1980). The case was then committed for trial to Newcastle Crown Court.
On 25 February 1994 there was a pre-trial hearing to ascertain the pleas of the accused and to give directions for trial. The applicant and his brother pleaded not guilty and were released on bail.
In a letter received on 21 April 1994, the applicant’s solicitors wrote to the court asking for the case not to be listed for eight weeks to enable them to obtain the report of a forensics expert. In a letter received on 8 June 1994, they asked for a further delay of six weeks. Finally, in a letter received on 8 July 1994 they asked that the trial not be listed until September or October 1994 to enable them to obtain medical evidence.
The trial, which was estimated to require three weeks and involve hearing evidence from 58 witnesses, was listed for 3 July 1995. However, the applicant failed to appear at the trial. In his application he explained that “because of threats which [he] was receiving from the persons actually responsible for the offences for which [he] stood charged, [he] failed to attend court. [He] ... stayed at home to protect [his] family from known criminals who would have caused harm to [his] family”.
The applicant was arrested on 28 July 1995 and remanded in custody. The trial was next scheduled for 4 March 1996. On that date, the applicant’s co-accused brother failed to appear and the case was again adjourned.
On 22 April 1996 there was a further pre-trial directions hearing. Three possible trial dates were proposed: 17 June, 12 August and 4 November 1996. However, the applicant’s counsel, who had acted for him from the outset and whom the applicant wished to represent him at trial, was not available on 17 June, and it was not possible for the trial to take place on 12 August 1996 because of the unavailability of a number of witnesses. The trial was, therefore, fixed for 4 November 1996. The applicant was remanded in custody until then.
At the trial, both the applicant and his brother pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to burgle. The applicant was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment.