4 MARCH 2006, Page 34

Trial by tabloid

From Prudence Bell

Sir: Ross Clark’s article about Sion Jenkins (‘Trial by tabloid’, 18 February) was a victory for common sense and reasoned journalism. The lack of reporting of the defence case and the heavy reporting of the prosecution case at every appeal and trial made life very difficult. How many people know that the defending barrister, in his summing up, listed at least 17 reasons why Sion Jenkins could not have murdered Billie-Jo? The journalists who claimed to be judge and jury afterwards were not even in court that day. The tragedy is that this will happen again and again so long as editors are more concerned with hype than with truth or justice.

Prudence Bell

Aberystwyth, Wales