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| Court-miss lottery winner jailed | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A £1m scratchcard-winning chip shop worker from Cornwall has been jailed for 14 days after she went on holiday instead of giving evidence in court. | A £1m scratchcard-winning chip shop worker from Cornwall has been jailed for 14 days after she went on holiday instead of giving evidence in court. |
| Leah Sumray, 21, ignored a witness summons and went to the Canary Islands instead of Truro Crown Court. | Leah Sumray, 21, ignored a witness summons and went to the Canary Islands instead of Truro Crown Court. |
| Sumray, from St Ives, was to testify in the trial of a man on assault charges. | |
| She was arrested at Bristol Airport when she returned from Fuerteventura and jailed for contempt of court. She was also ordered to pay £200 costs. | She was arrested at Bristol Airport when she returned from Fuerteventura and jailed for contempt of court. She was also ordered to pay £200 costs. |
| Immediate sentence | Immediate sentence |
| Judge Christopher Elwen told her "this was a flagrant and wilful contempt of court for which there was no excuse whatsoever". | Judge Christopher Elwen told her "this was a flagrant and wilful contempt of court for which there was no excuse whatsoever". |
| He told Sumray such contempt could only be dealt with in one way, and imposed an immediate sentence of imprisonment. | He told Sumray such contempt could only be dealt with in one way, and imposed an immediate sentence of imprisonment. |
| She was watched from the back of the court by her father Matthew, 50, and mother Dawn, 48. | She was watched from the back of the court by her father Matthew, 50, and mother Dawn, 48. |
| To ensure the proper administration of justice it must be made quite clear no one must disobey an order of the court Judge Christopher Elwen | To ensure the proper administration of justice it must be made quite clear no one must disobey an order of the court Judge Christopher Elwen |
| She had been due to give evidence for the prosecution in the trial of a man on assault charges, which went ahead without her evidence. The judge said her evidence could have had a significant bearing on the outcome of the case. | She had been due to give evidence for the prosecution in the trial of a man on assault charges, which went ahead without her evidence. The judge said her evidence could have had a significant bearing on the outcome of the case. |
| At the conclusion of the trial, the prosecution applied for a warrant. She was arrested on Wednesday. | At the conclusion of the trial, the prosecution applied for a warrant. She was arrested on Wednesday. |
| Jeremy Leeming, defending, said Sumray apologised to the court, but her reason for non-attendance was not to take a foreign holiday but her concern about repercussions if she gave evidence against the defendant in the trial. | Jeremy Leeming, defending, said Sumray apologised to the court, but her reason for non-attendance was not to take a foreign holiday but her concern about repercussions if she gave evidence against the defendant in the trial. |
| However, the judge said there had been no direct threats or positive intimidation by the defendant. | However, the judge said there had been no direct threats or positive intimidation by the defendant. |
| He told Sumray: "To ensure the proper administration of justice it must be made quite clear no one must disobey an order of the court." | He told Sumray: "To ensure the proper administration of justice it must be made quite clear no one must disobey an order of the court." |
| Sumray was working in the Dolphin Fish and Chip Bar in St Ives, earning £4.60 an hour, at the time of her National Lottery win in October last year. | Sumray was working in the Dolphin Fish and Chip Bar in St Ives, earning £4.60 an hour, at the time of her National Lottery win in October last year. |