MURDER trials in Worcester are among those to suffer delays as courts across the country continue to battle the huge backlog created by Covid-19.

All four of Her Majesty’s Justice Chief Inspectors have united to express “grave concerns” about the potential long-term impact of the backlog which has soared to 53,000 cases nationally during the pandemic.

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High profile cases at Worcester Crown Court, including murder and rape trials, are among the casualties of the coronavirus with Nightingale Courts used in some parts of the country, where the situation is far worse, to clear the backlog.

The delays have led to additional trauma for victims, witnesses and defendants as inspectors point to difficulties and lengthy waits at all stages of the criminal justice process that “benefit no one and risk damage to many”.

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Last year the murder trial of Martin Saberi, 53, was delayed until February this year because of the pandemic.

Saberi is accused of the murder of a transgender woman - 51-year-old Amy Griffiths - said to have taken place in a flat in Chalverton Court, Droitwich between January 11 and January 14, 2019.

It is now more than two years since she died. The trial had to be delayed in May last year at an administrative hearing due to the pandemic.

Adam Mason was convicted of the murder of his great uncle, Droitwich pensioner Desmond Wooding, in March last year. He stabbed the 80-year-old to death in his own home on June 23, 2019.

The 33-year-old of Plough Lane, Tibberton and was due to be sentenced on March 25 last year, shortly after conviction by a jury, but because of the pandemic he was not sentenced until last July.

Mason received a life sentence and must serve a minimum of 20 years. The rape trial of 61-year-old Michael Leydon, a former Worcester teacher, was the first to be heard in the city after the first lockdown ended.

The ex-Nunnery Wood teacher was jailed for six years last September for rape after Covid-19 meant the trial started later than anticipated.

Jake Toriyen, 21, has only just been sentenced for an attack in Alexander's nightclub in New Street, Worcester. The trial had been due to take place last April which was more than a year after the attack on March 17, 2019. In the end the trial did not happen until November and the sentencing did not happen until this week, nearly two years after the attack which rendered the victim unconscious.

Some cases, like that of Worcester's Tim Bird, were delayed because defendants themselves said they were self-isolating due to developing Covid-19 symptoms.

The 27-year-old admitted two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in Worcester against his ex and was jailed for three years. He missed the initial sentencing hearing because of reporting symptoms.

The Chief Inspectors highlighted some positive initiatives during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the acceleration of digital working, and praised the commitment of staff. In Worcester screens have been introduced to protect jurors and the courts are cleaned between cases to reduce the risk of virus transmission.

However, other areas were of more concern to inspectors nationally, including the lack of education provision in custody and in the community for young people and the highly restrictive regimes for a majority of prisoners which have continued for many months without respite, impacting negatively on their physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing and also more generally on prospects for effective rehabilitation.

The number of ongoing cases in Crown Courts was 44 per cent higher in December 2020 compared to February of the same year. Latest figures show more than 53,000 cases are waiting to come before crown courts. Some of these cases have been scheduled for 2022. Despite additional funding, the continuing impact of Covid-19 could cause further delays.

Speaking on behalf of all four inspectorates, Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell said: “Crown courts deal with the most serious cases, so this backlog concerns us all. The Covid-19 pandemic has meant severe delays and numerous cancellations throughout 2020, and this has had a negative impact on everyone involved.

“Delays mean victims must wait longer for cases to be heard; some will withdraw support for prosecutions because they have lost faith in the process. Witnesses will find it difficult to recall events that took place many months ago, and prosecutors waste significant periods of time preparing for cases that do not go ahead.

“Those accused of crimes face delays in their opportunities to defend themselves and seek acquittal. Defendants are kept on remand for longer periods, and prisoners continue to experience a highly restrictive prison regime or experience delays in accessing rehabilitation programmes and support through probation services."

The four Chief Inspectors are calling for criminal justice agencies to work closely together to respond to the pandemic, and for the Government to provide national direction as well as the funding, time and access to expertise to help recovery.

Meanwhile, the police and crime commissioner John Campion has spoken of his concern about the delays, particularly for the victims of crime.

He said he had long been fighting for a justice system that works for victims. He has called on the Government for support in a letter to the Home Secretary and Lord Chief Justice in May 2020.

He said: “I am committed to the needs of victims and witnesses in West Mercia. Any delay can represent further trauma to victims and witnesses and they are likely to suffer avoidable stress and anxiety.”

Mr Campion added: “This report is very welcome as it further highlights the worrying state of the criminal justice system. Any delays in court hearings could be justice denied. The performance prior to the pandemic wasn’t at an acceptable level, and it certainly isn’t now. We need to see the system continue to challenge itself to do better for victims, not just celebrate that ‘it could be worse’.

“We need to start seeing these figures as real people, and as victims and witnesses of horrific crimes who don’t want to have to wait for 13 months to have their case heard. They may even withdraw because they can’t suffer having the process drag out for that long.

“I have pledged to play my part, and I will continue to, for the communities of West Mercia. I recognise the dedication of the staff working within the system to deliver, and I also recognise the situation is worse elsewhere, however I urge the courts to go further and faster for the sake of so many victims and witnesses.”