Have prosecution witnesses ever been found guilty of perjury?

[adam]

Julie testified for six hours I believe. Repeating what is in her witness statements.

Basically she said under oath that Bamber planned the massacre, told her 'tonights the night', told her 'everything is going well' at 3am and then admitted his involvement the following day.

I've previously posted dozens of obvious disadvantages of Julie accusing an innocent man of murdering his family. However she went full steam ahead in 1985 obviously not considering any of these.

The defence claimed she lied because she was apparently jilted.

Defendants such as Bamber will spend hours lying in court. They will plead 'not guilty' to try to prevent being sent to prison. No one wants to spend time in prison. Criminals hope to commit a crime and not get caught, and enjoy the rewards. Many feel no remorse.  The last thing they want is punishment. So it's not surprising they lie in court and deny any involvement.  Many look for a technicality, some are successful, a lot are found guilty.

Of course there is much less incentive for a star witness to telling huge lies over several hours in court. They are not the accused and under no threat of prison.

Is there a major case where a star prosecution witness has been outed as lying in court. Either during or after the trial?  Not a little lie, fabrication, loss of memory, or innocent mistake. But a star witness spending hours in court accusing an innocent man of crime, which will result in a 20+ year sentence for the defendant.
 

Admin note.

I have edited this post slightly in
order to comply with forum rules.

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[Admin]

It takes an extremely accomplished pergurer to be able to give evidence in a high profile trial for hour after hour and day after day and not be caught out. Julie Mugford by all accounts was an extremely credible witness who was more than able to fend off the searching questions put to her by the defence.
 
She was unshakable despite the pressures she was put under with Jeremy Bamber glaring at her across the courtroom. The jury certainly accepted Julie's version of events and rejected the defence rehearsed by Jeremy Bamber.

[david1819]

Julie testified for six hours I believe. Repeating what is in her witness statements.

Basically she said under oath that Bamber planned the massacre, told her 'tonights the night', told her 'everything is going well' at 3am and then admitted his involvement the following day.

I've previously posted dozens of obvious disadvantages of Julie accusing an innocent man of murdering his family. However she went full steam ahead in 1985 obviously not considering any of these.

The defence claimed she lied because she was apparently jilted.

Defendants such as Bamber will spend hours lying in court. They will plead 'not guilty' to try to prevent being sent to prison. No one wants to spend time in prison. Criminals hope to commit a crime and not get caught, and enjoy the rewards. Many feel no remorse.  The last thing they want is punishment. So it's not surprising they lie in court and deny any involvement.  Many look for a technicality, some are successful, a lot are found guilty.

Of course there is much less incentive for a star witness to telling huge lies over several hours in court. They are not the accused and under no threat of prison.

Is there a major case where a star prosecution witness has been outed as lying in court. Either during or after the trial?  Not a little lie, fabrication, loss of memory, or innocent mistake. But a star witness spending hours in court accusing an innocent man of crime, which will result in a 20+ year sentence for the defendant.
 

Admin note.

I have edited this post slightly in
order to comply with forum rules.

Yes, Michael Carson in the West Memphis Three trial is a perfect example, He even admits he lied.

https://youtu.be/FlbkdM8G7Ys?t=40m9s

[Holly Goodhead]

In anwser to your question, I can't think off the top of my head of any cases where witnesses have been found guilty of perjury but I know of cases where prosecution witnesses have admitted to lying. 

Is it in the courts interest to charge witnesses with perjury?  If it does and witnesses are subsequently found  guilty what would this say about the court process and judicial system? 

[Admin]

One high profile perjury conviction was that of Tommy Sheridan, former convenor of the Scottish Socialist Party, who was sentenced to three years after being found to have lied in the defamation suit he brought against The News of the World.  The SCCRC later refused to refer his case to the Court of Appeal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_Advocate_v_Sheridan_and_Sheridan

[scipio_usmc]

Yes, Michael Carson in the West Memphis Three trial is a perfect example, He even admits he lied.

https://youtu.be/FlbkdM8G7Ys?t=40m9s

That was a supposed jailhouse confession claim. Those are notoriously unreliable anyway.

 

[adam]

Thanks. Witnesses have been accused and found guilty of perjury before.

But has there been anything as serious as what Julie has been accused of by some Bamber supporters?

There won't be an example exactly like Julie's.  But any murder trial where it was proven the main prosecution witness/accuser lied would be interesting. 

[adam]

If at trial or afterwards a witness either publically confessed to perjury or was found out, what would the punishment be ? Surely a long prison sentance.

They would have wasted the police and courts time and resources. As well as several lawyers time and the tax payers money. Jurors might have had to put their lives on hold for several weeks to listen to and deliberate a case which shouldn't be there.

[Holly Goodhead]

If at trial or afterwards a witness either publically confessed to perjury or was found out, what would the punishment be ? Surely a long prison sentance.

They would have wasted the police and courts time and resources. As well as several lawyers time and the tax payers money. Jurors might have had to put their lives on hold for several weeks to listen to and deliberate a case which shouldn't be there.

I thought many of your threads, especially those with 'primary sources', along with your 'mountain of circumstantial evidence' and your 'forensic library' showed the case was about more than JM?   &%+((£

[Holly Goodhead]

Thanks. Witnesses have been accused and found guilty of perjury before.

But has there been anything as serious as what Julie has been accused of by some Bamber supporters?

There won't be an example exactly like Julie's.  But any murder trial where it was proven the main prosecution witness/accuser lied would be interesting.

Yes four 13 year old girls, all friends, testified against Stefan Kiszko.  Years later they all admitted they lied for "a laugh".   At trial the judge praised them.  Post verdict one girls mother called for SK to be hanged.

When the CoA quashed SK's conviction the girls went unpunished.  Only one apologised.

[Holly Goodhead]

If at trial or afterwards a witness either publically confessed to perjury or was found out, what would the punishment be ? Surely a long prison sentance.

They would have wasted the police and courts time and resources. As well as several lawyers time and the tax payers money. Jurors might have had to put their lives on hold for several weeks to listen to and deliberate a case which shouldn't be there.

Imo JM was coerced into providing the testimony she gave along with her housemates:  Susan Battersby and James Richard.  Many of the officers involved are now deceased. 

[david1819]

Thanks. Witnesses have been accused and found guilty of perjury before.

But has there been anything as serious as what Julie has been accused of by some Bamber supporters?

There won't be an example exactly like Julie's.  But any murder trial where it was proven the main prosecution witness/accuser lied would be interesting.

Martin Tankleff was wrongly convicted of killing his parents, when he stood trial for the murder of his adoptive parents, The real killer was a prosecution witness! he stood in the dock and testified

If at trial or afterwards a witness either publically confessed to perjury or was found out, what would the punishment be ? Surely a long prison sentance.

They would have wasted the police and courts time and resources. As well as several lawyers time and the tax payers money. Jurors might have had to put their lives on hold for several weeks to listen to and deliberate a case which shouldn't be there.

Its very unlikely that's how it would unfold.   [ deleted - speculation ]

[adam]

Martin Tankleff was wrongly convicted of killing his parents, when he stood trial for the murder of his adoptive parents, The real killer was a prosecution witness! he stood in the dock and testified

Its very unlikely that's how it would unfold.  [ deleted - speculation ]

There is no point discussing why people believe Julie gave the evidence she did. Supporters will say she did so because she was jilted. Which is incredibly weak when up against the huge disadvantages.

Tankleff stood as a prosecution witness as he was the culprit. So had a reason to. As my thread post said, criminals will have no hesitation in lying under oath. Julie had no reason to.

Anyway, are there any examples of a star witness testifying for several hours that someone committed murder/s who was proved to have lied. It really is warped to accuse an innocent man of murder, why was it done ?

[david1819]

Tankleff stood as a prosecution witness as he was the culprit. So had a reason to. As my thread post said, criminals will have no hesitation in lying under oath. Julie had no reason to.

Anyway, are there any examples of a star witness testifying for several hours that someone committed murder/s who was proved to have lied. It really is warped to accuse an innocent man of murder, why was it done.

Yes, Michael Carson at the trials of Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin, I told you this yesterday.

[adam]

Thanks. So one case, which Scipio is disputing.

It's fair to say that if Julie is ever found out to have lied and Bamber is innocent, it will be the biggest and most spectacular perjury in history. Testifying that a man who had just lost his family, actually killed them all would bring gasps around the world.