DRUGS case described as a “complete waste of taxpayers’ money” by a judge cost an estimated £834 when it was heard at Fermanagh Magistrates’ Court, Justice Minister David Ford has revealed.

34 year old Graeme Stronge, who was charged with possessing the Class B controlled drug cannabis, on September 24, 2012, appeared in Court earlier this month. Stronge, of Main Street, Tempo, had initially entered a not guilty plea to the offence. However, his legal team changed his plea to one of guilty after it became apparent that the defendant had no grounds on which to challenge the charge.

As reported by The Impartial Reporter at the time, this resulted in an angry response from District Judge Nigel Broderick who described the case as a “complete waste of time” and said Stronge’s solicitors had “not investigated” what the defendant told police during his initial interview.

Lord Maurice Morrow, of the Democratic Unionist Party, asked Minister Ford to provide a breakdown of all costs in this case; to outline how costs in such cases can be reduced, including the feasibility of introducing late plea penalties against both defendant and legal representatives.

On Monday, Minister Ford said the estimated total costs in the Stronge case which took place at Fermanagh Magistrates’ Court on June 3 were as follows: Legal Aid - £375 Prosecution - £ n/a Court (Judiciary and staff costs) - £374 Facilities (e.g. courtroom accommodation) - £85 PSNI - £ n/a Estimated total costs: £834 The figure does not account for other expenses such as travel and mileage and any additional disbursement costs by the solicitor.

Minister Ford told Lord Morrow, a Fermanagh-south Tyrone representative, that in the absence of detailed records of time spent on individual cases it is not possible to produce precise or even average costs for a particular case, and that costs for individual investigations and subsequent court appearances for PSNI Officers are not recorded separately.

“The Justice Bill, which is currently before the Assembly, proposes placing a duty on the court, the prosecution and the defence to reach a just outcome as swiftly as possible. In addition, the Department will be able to make regulations setting out duties on the court, prosecution and defence in relation to the management and conduct of criminal proceedings in the Crown Court or a Magistrates’ Court.

“The regulations will confer functions on the court in relation to the active case management of criminal cases, including, in particular, requiring early identification of the issues, achieving certainty as what must be done, by whom and when, and discouraging delay. The Bill also makes provision to encourage earlier guilty pleas,” said Minister Ford.