A verdict was expected tomorrow in the kidnapping and blackmail trial for Danny Mason and Ryan Rhaburn - but things took an unexpected turn in court today when a mistrial was declared.
According to sources, on Friday one of the defence attorneys gave Channel 5 an interview in which he discussed a "no case" submission - which had been denied.
Media were warned against using that interview because it could prejudice the jury against the prosecution's case - but it was still aired.
And today that was cited as one of the reasons to declare a mistrial. The other was that some news footage of the accused leaving the court had shown a juror on camera and that person feared for their safety as a consequence.
The declaration of a mistrial means an entirely new trial will have to commence. Mason returned to serving his life sentence in prison, while Rhaburn had been released on bail.
