Governor, lawyers apologise for blunders over incest trial

The Governor apologised on behalf of the whole Government yesterday for blunders which stopped an incest trial after a 14-year-old girl had suffered the trauma of giving evidence.

But as the Attorney-General and Director of Public Prosecutions also accepted blame, the barrister who prosecuted the case insisted he was ultimately responsible.

Paul Dinan said he wanted to set the record straight and make it clear that he had never told the press he blamed his Legal Department advisers for giving him the wrong advice.

Mr Dinan said: 'I hate the idea of there being a witch-hunt to point the finger of blame at someone who gave me the fatal advice. The ultimate responsibility lies with the counsel who has accepted the brief, in this case me.' He said it was his duty to make absolutely sure the advice he was given was correct, and he did not want people with less experience than him to be pilloried. 'It is a reminder to anyone who accepts a brief of their responsibilities,' he said.

The trial was halted on Thursday when it was discovered the girl should not have been allowed to give evidence by television link. She will now have to testify in a new trial.

Governor Chris Patten said: 'I apologise myself without any hesitation at all for the totally unnecessary distress which this poor 14-year-old girl was caused.' Attorney-General Jeremy Mathews said an 'inadvertent omission' led to incest being left out of the list of sex offences for which evidence could be given by television link.

It was 'unfortunate' this was not realised until after the girl had given evidence.