Newspapers in Jo Yeates contempt case

Dominic Grieve QC told a hearing in London that he wanted an “order for committal or other appropriate penalty” made against the publishers of the Sun and Daily Mirror.

Jo Yeates disappeared on 17 December 2010 after going for Christmas drinks with colleagues. Her frozen body was found on a roadside verge in Failand, Somerset, on Christmas Day.

Mr Grieve, the Government’s chief legal officer, told the court that his concerns related to coverage following the arrest of Miss Yeates’s landlord Christopher Jefferies.

The newspapers dispute Mr Grieve’s claims and deny contempt.

Dominic Grieve told judges in written documents that his concerns related to articles in the Daily Mirror on 31 December and 1 January and an article in the Sun on 1 January.

Mr Grieve said the articles would have posed a “substantial risk of serious prejudice” to any trial Christopher Jefferies might have faced.

‘Entirely innocent’

Mr Jefferies was subsequently released without charge. He was “entirely innocent”, Mr Grieve told the court.

He said the articles contained material which was “exceptionally adverse and hostile” to Mr Jefferies.

Mr Grieve said Mr Jefferies “challenged” material contained in the articles and had made a “separate libel complaint”.

He said the articles not only posed a “substantial” risk of prejudice and “impedance” to any trial but also contained material which would not have been placed before a jury as “admissible evidence”.

A 33-year-old engineer has admitted killing Miss Yeates. Dutchman Vincent Tabak has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder.

Tabak, who lived next-door to Ms Yeates, is due to go on trial accused of murder at Bristol Crown Court in October.

After summarising the facts, Mr Grieve outlined “legal principles” on the law relating to contempt.

Lord Judge told the court that judgement would not be delivered on Tuesday.