Inside GRiP: Mclusky do Cardiff the only way they know how
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gairrhydd CARDIFF’S STUDENT WEEKLY
Student makes court history Dominic O’Neill reports A CARDIFF University student made history last week when he defended himself in a court case from a phone box on Park Place. It is the first time a court has ever heard evidence from a public telephone box in over a thousand years of British legal history, and the phone boxes in question where none other than those on the crossroads by the Arts and Social Studies library. Richard Jobling, who is training to be a barrister at Cardiff’s law school, was victorious in a case brought against him by a professional firm of solicitors. Speaking to Gair Rhydd, he said, “It was certainly really bizarre talking to the judge from a phone box as the traffic went by. All my fellow students think it’s really funny. “It was great to win, especially against a firm of solicitors. I was nervous about having to pay them money if I lost. Now my beer budget is safe until the end of the course!” Mr Jobling, 33, of close to Colum Road, was being sued by Mills and Reeves solicitors of Cambridge. They said he owed them £175 of
photocopying costs from when Mr Jobling was studying for his first degree at Anglia Polytechnic in Chelmsford. But District Judge Blomfeld, decided that they would proceed with the case using a telephone so that Mr Jobling would not have to travel the 160 mile trip to Cambridge County Court. “I was concerned that it would take too much time up as I was trying to concentrate on my assessments,” he said. “I don’t have a landline and my mobile phone signal is too unreliable, so we had to use a public phone.” The legal whizz-kid won the case in under ten minutes after the Cambridge solicitors backed down when he brought up a technical argument focusing on the size of the case. It is not the first time Mr Jobling has defended himself in court, despite having over a year to go before he is fully qualified as a barrister – he won a case against a
Richard Jobling and the famous phonebox Chelmsford firm of solicitors last year in a dispute with his landlord.
“It was certainly bizarre to be talking to a judge from a phone box as the traffic went by. All my friends think it’s really funny”
Mr Jobling continued, “I was a bit keyed up before the case as I was waiting for the judge to ring up. But after I got going it was fine and before I knew it was all over. “I had trouble hearing the other side, as the phones there aren’t very loud.” “The judge said they would have to speak up and after that
Wheatus in after Atomic kittens drop the Ball Lydia Kirby reports UNION EXECUTIVES breathed a sigh of relief when pop band Wheatus agreed to play at the Summer Ball following the cancellation of Atomic Kitten. The female trio had arranged to headline the summer event earlier this year but pulled out when lead singer Natasha Hamilton experienced problems with her pregnancy and was
advised by her doctor to cancel the gig. Cardiff Union’s entertainments department were notified of the cancellation just one day after American teenage dirtbags, Wheatus, had confirmed they would return to Cardiff for the Summer Ball this June. “We always put our tickets out earlier than other universities because this is what students ask for, so we
can’t always guarantee the line-up,” a spokesperson for the Union said. “We were a bit anxious when one of the Atomic Kitten girls fell pregnant but, up until just recently, were reassured by their agents that they would still playing.” The entertainments department are now searching for a third act to join Wheatus and Trevor Nelson. Finance and Commercial
Services Officer, Alex Molokwu, who saw Wheatus play at Cardiff Union last November, is confident that the band will prove very popular with students. He said, “The Wheatus gig was sold out in November and the band were absolutely brilliant. He added, ‘This year we worked very hard to secure three big acts for Cardiff students”.
PHOTO: ROBIN JACKSON
it was fine. I was concentrating so much on what I was doing I didn’t really notice all the traffic on the road.” Taking witness statements over the phone and holding court hearings using teleconferencing is a relatively new practice. A spokesman for the Law Society said, “There is a new
initiative to use telephones for civil cases. It’s a lot more efficient than having to travel for miles just to give ten minutes of evidence.” But both the Lord Chancellor’s office and the Law Society say this is the first time they have heard of a statement that has being given from a public telephone.
“Form and fitness permitting, if I get selected, it will be a very proud day for me if I could pull the Welsh jersey on and stick it up the English.” SPORT GET PATRIOTIC WITH ROBERT CROFT, PAGE 39 News p1–4 ● Letters p7 ● GRiP p11 TV listings p23 ● Features p31 ● Sport p37