Reporter live-tweets application to ban press from courtroom
Chief reporter on the Croydon Advertiser live-tweets as a witness makes an application to get him excluded from court for 'intimidating' coverage
– 2 min read
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A local newspaper reporter has taken to Twitter to live-tweet an application he says is for the press to be barred from the courtroom.
Gareth Davies, chief reporter of the Croydon Advertiser tweeted that the defence made a submission for the journalist to be "excluded from being in court on request of a witness".
He tweeted that he was told the defence claim was because his "heavy reporting" had intimidated a witness who "feels 'persecuted'" by coverage of the defendant.
Tweeting from Croydon Magistrates Court, Davies, who is @Gareth\_Davies09 on Twitter, added that the witness has "even refused to give evidence behind a screen if I'm in court".
He also said on Twitter that he would not be able to give a complete report of the case if he was unable to listen to the defence.
According to Davies, the application is to bar all press, not just him.
He added: "After initially being told I wouldn't be allowed, I've been told that if bench approves exclusion I will be able to make a submission."
At the time of writing the case was back in session after being adjourned, during which time Davies said he received advice from lawyers.
The case has been moved to a different courtroom which is below ground and from where Davies is unable to get a mobile phone signal.
Davies tweeted: "
Ok. This is getting ridiculous. case moved back to first court, which is underground with no signal."
Follow @Gareth\_Davies09 and @Joanna\_Till , who Davies has passed his notebook to, for updates.
Croydon Magistrates Court was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.
Update 3pm:
Davies has tweeted to say the judge rejected the application from the witness and the reporter will not be excluded from court. According to Davies , the judge said: "What I find difficult in seeing is how witness will find the press intimidating"
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Sarah Marshall is VP Audience Strategy at Condé Nast. She leads distribution and channel strategy globally. She is also the former technology editor for Journalism.co.uk (prior to it becoming JournalismUK)
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