£23k bill for Greer acquittal

THE cost to the state of the trial at Londonderry Crown Court of Harold Greer - last month cleared of sexually abusing a boy almost 50 years ago - was £23k in total, according to the Justice Minister David Ford.

DUP MLA Lord Morrow asked the Minister to detail a breakdown of the costs in the case of Harold Greer at Londonderry Crown Court.

The legal aid bill was £13,585.20; the court judiciary and staff bill was £4,586.50; the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) bill was £3,404.04; the jury bill was £1,044.63; and the cost of courtroom facilities was £485, Mr Ford revealed. Mr Ford said the PSNI had not provided costs.

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“All duty associated with the case was pre-detailed duty and no additional costs were incurred,” he explained.

He also advised the PPS bill was provisional, stating: “This figure represents the costs paid by PPS to date, however final costs for all fees for counsel and witness expenses have not yet been billed.”

Equally, the defence legal aid bill was provisional and based on an estimate.

“This represents an estimated cost from the Legal Services Commission for Crown Court fees. No claims have been received to date in this case,” he advised.

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