Bungling jury forewoman accidentally clears three of Waterloo station stabbing after £1million Old Bailey murder trial

12 January 2024, 09:14

Three men were accidentally cleared of killing a 32-year-old man outside Waterloo Station after an Old Bailey jury forewoman made a “mistake”

Brothers Paul and Matthew Yusuff and their friend Moussa Traore were accused of stabbing Adrian Keise, 32, to death during a scuffle outside a bar in 2022.

After a two-month trial at the Old Bailey, the jury reached their verdict on the case on Wednesday.

The jury of 11 men and women had deliberated for 10 hours and 46 minutes when the court assembled for what had been expected to be a majority direction.

The trio were jubilant when the foreman told the court that the jury had reached a unanimous "not guilty" verdict.

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However, in extraordinary scenes, the celebrations were cut short and the men were called back by the judge and told that the foreman had written a note to say she had made a mistake.

Judge Charles Gratwicke, who had come out of retirement to hear the case, reassembled the court after receiving a jury note indicating a mistake had been made.

Despite opposition from defence barristers, the judge recalled the jury and questioned the forewoman about what happened.

The judge asked if she had made a “mistake” when she said the jury had unanimous verdicts.

The woman replied: “Yes.”

The judge then told jurors he would accept a verdict on which at least 10 agreed and told them to resume deliberations.

The jury, which had been reduced from the original 12 to six men and five women when one of the original panel died, then retired again.

There was further confusion when the panel returned to the court yesterday and the same foreman announced there had been no verdicts on any of the charges. 

She then corrected herself and announced Paul Yusuff had been cleared of one of the charges which related to possessing a blade.

The trial then had to be abandoned after jurors were unable to reach verdicts on the more serious charges of murder and manslaughter.

The Yusuff brothers, 21 and 23, were charged with murder over the stabbing near London's Waterloo station in October 2022.

They were also charged with manslaughter along with Traore, 24.Following the case, defence barrister Kerim Fuad KC, said he remained 'extremely troubled' by what had happened.

Prosecutors now have until January 19 to consider whether to seek a retrial.