Jury sent home for the night in abuse trial of former weatherman
Jurors in the trial of former TV weatherman Fred Talbot have gone home for the night after they were unable to reach a verdict in one sitting.
The panel, now made up of 14 men and women, is due to return to Lanark Sheriff Court today to resume their discussions.
Adjourning the case after roughly 90 minutes of deliberations yesterday afternoon, Sheriff Nikola Stewart told the jury they must not feel under any time pressure.
She also reminded them it is vital they do not discuss the case with anyone else.
Talbot, 67, a former teacher in the Manchester area, is accused of indecently assaulting several teenage boys on school trips to Scotland in the 1970s and 1980s.
He is further accused of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards a boy aged 12 on a trip.
He denies all the charges against him.
On the eighth day of the trial, lawyers from both sides got the chance to address the jury after all the evidence had been led.
In his opening remarks, prosecutor Imran Bashir told the jury: “It’s my submission the evidence in this case is overwhelming and compelling.”
Urging the jury to find Talbot not guilty, Alan Gravelle, defending told them: “This case is not proven beyond reasonable doubt.”