Trial axed after oath on Bible not Koran

A TRIAL collapsed after it was discovered that a court blunder meant a Muslim had sworn an oath on the Bible instead of the Koran.

Michael Davies was in the dock accused of attempted robbery until it emerged that one of the witnesses had taken the oath on the wrong book.

The j udge, Recorder Patrick Thompson, said the trial at Liverpool Crown Court could not proceed.

He added: ‘It is probably best if a fresh jury who doesn’t think we’re all totally incompetent hears this case.’

Davies, 38, had denied trying to rob a kebab shop i n Birkenhead while armed with a hammer last summer.

But during the hearing it emerged the takeaway’s manager Kevin Kurt had sworn an oath on t he wrong holy book.

Asked if he had ever bought stolen goods from Davies, he said it would be ‘against my religion’.

John Weate, defending, asked him: ‘Are you a Christian?’

He replied: ‘No, I’m a Muslim.’

Followers of minority faiths are supposed to be given copies of their own sacred texts to swear an oath on in court.

Atheists, or those who for other reasons do not wish to swear on a Bible or other religious text, are allowed to ‘solemnly, s i ncerely and t r uly affirm’ they are telling the truth.

However, it emerged that Mr Kurt had not been given the option of using a different holy book.

Mr Recorder Thompson said that the blunder was not the takeaway boss’s fault.

He said i f the trial restarted, it would not be expected to finish this week, adding: ‘It’s regrettable.’