Anonymity praised as thug is jailed

Mar 1 2009 by Rob Kennedy, Sunday Sun

POLICE have hailed the use of anonymous witnesses after a North East gangster was locked up indefinitely for stabbing a rival.

John Chisholm repeatedly knifed gangland foe Robert Anderson in the street in daylight in front of terrified witnesses..

But the case only went ahead because of the use of a new law which allows the use of anonymous witnesses.

During the trial people who had been on the street when the attack happened were allowed to give their evidence anonymously as they were too afraid to give their accounts in court.

They testified through a television link from a secret destination but their images were blurred, their voices distorted and their true names not revealed to anyone.

Only the police knew the real identity of the witnesses and only the judge and jury could see and hear them naturally in court using special headsets and private television screens.

After seeing Chisholm locked up indefinitely, with a minimum term of five years, Det Supt Barbara Franklin said: “Northumbria Police is among the first forces in the country to use emergency legislation which allows witnesses in sensitive criminal trials to give evidence anonymously.

“The Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill allows applications for witness anonymity to protect the safety of essential witnesses and the force can show they wouldn’t testify without anonymity.

“It is a fundamental principle of English law that the accused should be able to see his accusers and challenge them.

“But in this case there were real and significant threats to witnesses and their families, so we could use the legislation.

“The successful outcome was entirely due to this legislation, without it the trial would not have gone ahead.”