Mock Trial

PC Trevor Buckingham escorted year 6 children from St.John Fisher School to Sheffield Crown Court. The children elected a Judge, Barristers, Jury, Witnesses, Reporters and acted out a court scene.

The scenario was written by Trevor and strict attention was paid to Court procedure.

The Scenario

Two young children, aged 11 years, visit a local shopping centre. Whilst at the centre, they enter several shops, one of which is a large newsagent.

In the newsagents, the boys, John and Michael, are looking at various displays. Michael is looking at some CD's, and John goes to the magazines.

John picks up a computer magazine, priced at £l.99p and starts looking through the pages. He then places the magazine under his coat, and walks back to where Michael is. After joining him, John says to Michael "come on, lets go". Both then leave the shop.

Unknown to John, the manager of the shop, and an assistant had been watching him, and saw what John had done.

As the boys leave the shop, the manager shouts to them to stop. John then takes the magazine from under his coat, passes it to Michael and says "run". Michael takes the magazine and they both started running.

Both are caught a short distance away, by the manager and taken back to the shop. The Police are then contacted, and a short time later a Police Officer attends at the shop, and after the manager explaining what had happened a short time ago. The officer cautioned both boys and asked them to give their explanation, John said "it wasn't me", and Michael said, "I didn't know it was stolen".

Both boys were then arrested and taken to the local Police Station, where they were documented and searched, John had a £5 note in his pocket.

Both their parents were contacted and asked to attend the Police Station, so that they could be present during the interview of their sons.

During John's interview, he denied stealing the magazine and maintained that he had not seen the magazine, until Michael was caught with it. Michael said in his interview that he had not seen the magazine, until John had given it to him outside the shop, and told him to run, but said he thought that the magazine may have been stolen, because John had told him to run after giving it to him.

Both were then charged with the offence of theft and a date was fixed for them to attend the Court.

The Trial

The classroom is set out like a court, with a Judge, a Prosecutor, a defence councillor, 12 members of a Jury, the witnesses (the shop manager and the shop assistant), and the trial takes place.

After all the evidence is heard and the two boys and the witnesses have been questioned, the jury is then asked to decide whether both john and Michael are guilty of theft, or just John or neither. The spokesperson for the Jury then gives the verdict.