'Facebook' juror facing jail for contempt

The first juror ever to be prosecuted for contempt of court involving the internet sobbed today as she was warned she faces jail.

London’s High Court heard that Joanne Fraill, 40, from Manchester, admitted using Facebook to contact Jamie Sewart, 34, a defendant already acquitted in a drugs trial in Manchester.

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, said the court could not announce sentence today.

But he warned Fraill, who had been “distraught” throughout the hearing, the court did not think there were any circumstances in which she could avoid an immediate jail sentence.

Sewart denied contempt, but the judges ruled the case against her was “proved”.

However Lord Judge, sitting with two other senior judges, told her she would receive a suspended jail order.

The judge said Sewart’s own trial had led to her lengthy separation from her baby and it would not be in anybody’s interest to “remove the mother from her child again”.

The exact penalities in both cases are expected to be announced later this week.

Solicitor General Edward Garnier QC outlined details of a Facebook conversation between Fraill and Sewart on August 3, 2010, lasting more than 35 minutes.

He told the court that Fraill, who used the “sender name” of “Jo Smilie”, started the conversation with the message: “jamie nice one hun hope u both sort things out u should have seen his face”

Sewart replied: “i came runnin in i was listenin at the doors ha ha”

Later Sewart asked: “whats happenin with the other charge??”

Fraill replied: “cant get anywaone to go either no one budging pleeeeeese dont say anyhting cause jamie they could call mmiss trial and i will get 4cked to0”

Sewart said: “i know i have deleted all the messages i wudnt do that to u dont worry xx”

Fraill said: “don’t worry about that chge no way it can stay hung for me lol th this is the 2nd time init at least then yer all home and dry”

Sewart replied: “ha ha ur mad i really appreciate everythin if i cud have kissed u all i would of done ha ha did u here me say i feel like getting naked haha2”

Fraill said: “jamie am gonna get off this lot doing me head in x it will be over tomoz fingers crossed, im not as daft as am cabbage looking hahaha alll that note taking was just killing time lolol drew more than i wrote lol when we gsve that first on gail i was crying cos they held onto yours because 1 couldnt make her mind up it f****** wound me up like u wouldnt believe hahahahha ah will nearly f****** there lol get all your property back too lol”

Sewart replied: “ha ha i will be doin ha ha and trying for compo”

She added: “keep in touch and i’ll get u a nice pressie if i get anything anything out of um x will find out on thursday thats when he gets sentenced”

Fraill replied: “dont be daft been a pleasure xxx lol”

Sewart said: “spk to u soon x”

Fraill ends the conversation by saying: “oh u willl lol”

Mr Garnier suggested that “lol” stood for “lots of love” but changed his mind after a colleague passed a note.

He told the court: “I am told by my learned friend, who is quite a bit younger than I am, that ’lol’ means ’laugh out loud’ not ’lots of love’.”

Shortly after the hearing started, Lord Judge told journalists: “You can tweet away.”