Murder plea of son accused of murdering father in Wolverhampton delayed due to technical difficulties
A son was unable to enter a plea for the charge of murdering his father due to a technical fault at Wolverhampton Crown Court today.
Jermaine Thomas, of Handsworth, Birmingham was asked twice to enter a plea but his screen from where he is incarcerated froze twice.
The judge HHJ Chambers KC registered his annoyance at the situation complaining the defendant and solicitors should be in court.
He said: "This is a class one case which means the defendant should be in court which is the direction of the Lord Chief Justice."
When the defendant wrote his plea in a message, the exasperated judge said: "We cannot be having arraignment by chat room."
The pre-trial hearing has been rearranged for Friday, November 25 and the defendant, prosecution and defence lawyers will have to be at Wolverhampton Crown Court in person.
Thomas, aged 22, is accused of stabbing to death his father Berris Thomas, 62, in his Tettenhall Road home, Wolverhampton, in July 2021.
Berris was found with multiple stab wounds at his home by officers carrying out a welfare check.
Thomas was remanded in custody.
