In the first CPS London prosecution under the new double jeopardy[27] laws a man has been jailed for life for the manslaughter[28] and attempted murder[29] of two women.
Justice finally caught up with Mario Celaire, 31, left, seven years after an Old Bailey jury cleared him of killing his ex-girlfriend Cassandra McDermott. He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Cassandra in 2001 and to the attempted murder of Kara Hoyte, 19, in February 2007.
When Kara - also a former girlfriend - ended the relationship Celaire attacked her with a hammer, leaving her with brain damage and partial paralysis. Her head injuries were so severe doctors gave her 24 hours to live.
After the attack Kara told police that when she had asked Celaire about his 2002 trial he had admitted killing Cassandra, 19, left, who was savagely beaten and died after choking[30] on her own vomit[31].
The prosecution successfully applied to the Court of Appeal to have his murder acquittal quashed[32]. He was also charged with the attempted murder of Kara.
Despite suffering from severe communication difficulties as a result of her injuries, Kara was determined[33] to give evidence against Celaire.
But shortly before the trial at the Old Bailey was due to start Celaire pleaded guilty to the two attacks.
The case was reviewed by Special Casework Lawyer Stuart Sampson, from the Complex Casework Centre, who was assisted by Paralegal Officer[34] (Caseworker) Jill Savin.
"This was one of the very few retrials[35] since the double jeopardy rule was changed and the first London case," said Stuart.
"We were confident of obtaining a conviction - we had successfully applied to hear bad character evidence[36] and Kara Hoyte's evidence was compelling[37] - but Celaire must have realised he had no chance of escaping justice again.
"We consulted the families of both victims before we decided to accept his pleas."
Celaire was sentenced in July. He will serve a minimum of 23 years.
ü Under a change in the law in 2005, a person can now be tried twice for the same crime where new and compelling evidence can be produced. The first man to face such a retrial was William Dunlop, who pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey in 2006 to murdering Julie Hogg, 22, in Teesside in 1989. He had been tried twice for her murder in 1991 but both times a jury failed to reach a verdict[38] and he was formally acquitted.
(Taken from www.cps.gov.uk/london/case_studies)
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