The trial of a Norwegian hitman accused of plotting a murder on British soil has spectacularly collapsed. A mistrial declared this morning. The judge cited procedural failures and questionable evidence handling. Legal experts are now asking whether cross-border justice is fit for purpose.
It was meant to be a straightforward case. Extradition from Norway. Trial at the Old Bailey. The defendant, a known associate of a Scandinavian crime syndicate, allegedly hired to kill a London businessman. But from day one, cracks appeared. The Norwegian police had wiretapped conversations. The British court deemed them inadmissible. Translation errors compounded the mess.
‘This is a disaster for the Crown Prosecution Service,’ said a Whitehall source. ‘They were warned about relying on foreign intelligence. But they pushed ahead. Now they have egg on their face.’
The collapse is political dynamite. The Home Office has been touting closer cooperation with European partners post-Brexit. This trial undermines that narrative. Hardline Brexiteers are already circling. Expect calls for a review of all cross-border prosecutions.
The defendant walked free from court. No retrial ordered. The Norwegian authorities are furious. They claim they followed procedure. ‘The British system is arrogant,’ a diplomat told me. ‘They think their rules apply everywhere.’
But the questions run deeper. Is the European Arrest Warrant too blunt an instrument? Should UK courts have more discretion in foreign evidence? Legal experts are divided. ‘We need a new treaty,’ says a former lord chief justice. ‘This case shows the current framework is broken.’
The CPS has gone silent. No comment expected today. But behind the scenes, heads will roll. The Director of Public Prosecutions faces pressure from the Attorney General. This is a gift for the opposition.
Labour is already demanding a parliamentary inquiry. ‘The government’s botched handling of international justice is endangering the public,’ said a shadow minister. ‘The Home Secretary must explain herself.’
For now, the hitman is a free man. Living in a safe house under a new identity, sources say. The victim? Still in hiding. Justice has not been served.
This story is not over. Expect leaks from the trial’s collapse. Expect a flurry of briefings from the Ministry of Justice. Expect a cabinet row over whether to blame Norway or Whitehall.
I will be watching the Westminster village. The game is on.
