Juror: I’m too racist to sit in court

A JUROR told a court his homophobic and racist views meant he could not give a defendant a fair trial.

In a letter written to the judge after he was selected from a shortlist to serve in a case, the man claimed his extreme views ‘against homosexuals and black/foreign people’ made it impossible for him to be impartial.

Last night an investigation was under way after the judge reluctantly agreed to dismiss him from the jury and referred the case to the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve.

The man had been selected from a panel to be one of 12 jurors to hear an assault and dangerous driving trial at Southampton Crown Court. But before the case of Michael Metcher, who is not thought to be from an ethnic minority, could begin, the letter was passed to Judge Gary Burrell, who read it aloud.

The man wrote: ‘I strongly believe that it would be a serious injustice to the legal system to select me for jury service.

‘I hold extreme prejudices against homosexuals and black/foreign people and couldn’t possibly be impartial if either appeared in court. Therefore it would not be in the court’s interest to have me a juror.’ When questioned by Judge Burrell about whether these were his true beliefs the juror confirmed they were. He added that he didn’t think he had the right to ‘judge anyone’.

The judge concluded it was difficult to know for sure whether the man was sincere or trying to manipulate the system.

Either way, he said he had to dismiss him from both the jury and the court building.

The man was warned he faces prosecution under the Contempt of Court Act for failing to serve on a jury.

Only convicted criminals and the insane are automatically excused from jury service under rules tightened in 2004.