Facing jail, mother who took photo of court witness
A MOTHER who took a photo of a court witness as he gave evidence in an attempted murder trial and posted it on Facebook has been warned she faces jail.
Dawn Reilly, 42, took the image during the trial of her son Kane Reilly, who was later convicted of trying to kill Rhys Reynolds, 26.
She then uploaded the picture of Mr Reynolds on social media and branded him a ‘grass’.
Reilly was overheard boasting about her exploit by police officers after she was ejected from the court room.
Yesterday, Lord Boyd of Duncansby told her: ‘You should understand that I regard this as a very serious matter.’
The judge said that what she had done was designed to strike at the administration of justice and to intimidate those who were engaged in it and in particular a witness.
Lord Boyd told Reilly, of Prestonpans, East Lothian, that the ‘strong likelihood’ was she would receive a custodial sentence for the offence.
Mr Reynolds was giving his testimony at the time at the High Court in Edinburgh and reported to officers that Reilly had posted his picture on Facebook.
Police checked the website and found the photograph on her account with the words: ‘GRASS! FOR ALL TO SEE !!!!!! RHYS REEKO REYNOLDS HUGH [sic] COURT GRASS.’
Advocate depute Richard Goddard, QC, said: ‘The post prompted five other comments including one that stated “give him a solid punch in the face”. The post of the photograph was liked by other Facebook users 46 times and was shared 29 times.’
Mr Goddard said it was seen by a 16-year-old girl who was due to give evidence in the attempted murder trial and caused her ‘greater fear and distress’ ahead of giving her testimony.
Reilly, a single mother of six and grandmother of two, admitted breaching the peace on August 14 last year at the trial, when she appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday.
Her son was one of six accused who were jailed for a total of 47 years following a Hogmanay attack on Mr Reynolds, who was hunted down in the street and severely beaten on December 31, 2018.
Her defence counsel, Grant Markie, said Reilly was the primary carer for her three youngest children and had previously been in a violent and abusive relationship, which led to her being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mr Markie said that the stress and anxiety of her son being on trial had ‘clearly impacted upon her judgment’.