By Sammie Jones-
Lavinia Woodward’s appeal against a suspended sentenced given to her for stabbing her boyfriend is to be contested by a pocket of journalists.
Two writers from The Eye Of Media.Com in conjunction with two NUJ freelance journalists, are preparing a strong motion to oppose and defeat the aspiring heart surgeon’s hopes of overturning her sentence. They plan to jointly and separately write a strong letter to the Court of Appeal, outlining the reasons and implications of granting her an appeal. A plan to mount a lchallenge against the eventuality of a successful court appeal hearing(if she is granted permission to the Courts Of Appeal) is in the works.
Woodford was spared jail for attacking ex lover, Thomas Fairclough during a fight at Christ Church college with a bread knife.
She was handed a 10-month suspended sentence at Oxford Crown Court after it emerged that she was on drugs and also suffeing from an eating disorder. Following the announcement last week that Woodford plan to appeal her sentence, a few writers from The Eye Of Media.Com in conjunction with some National Union of Journalist members are preparing a motion to oppose Woodward’s appeal , by writing to the Court of Appeal and strongly opposing her case being granted.
Woodward is attempting to appeal her sentence and has applied for permission to take her case to the Court of Appeal.Despite the usual protocol of allowing the courts to decide if her case will be heard, The Eye Of Media.Com can confirm that besides the judge hearing her case, she will also have the strong voice of the journalists against her. The media are not expected to deliberately prejudice a court hearing, but so strong are the feelings of opposition against Woodford’s incredible plans to appeal the weak sentence against her, that the plans are in motion to go ahead by Monday next week.
The Eye of Media.Com has not yet officially backed the motion, but is morally against Woodford’s plans to contest her suspended sentence. Consultation is still in process with respect the position of this publication regarding the opposition.
UPROAR
The case caused national uproar when the judge described her as “an extraordinarily able young lady” -and said sending her to prison would damage her hopes of becoming a Surgeon. Woodford was said to be very clever and had written journals published for Oxford University, one of the reason the sitting judge in her case said she was too clever to be sent to jail. Woodford voluntarily took time off her studies, but is expected to face disciplinary action when and if she returns to the University.
The strong agitation to mount a challenge against Woodford came after another posh girl- 22 year old, Sophia Brogan-Higgins, was handed a 22 months suspended sentence for smashing a glass into Justina Liutkute’s forehead at The Box Soho nightclub, London, where guests have included the likes of Prince Harry
Brogan-Higgins also kicked and slapped PC Alistair Skelton before she was dragged away from the scene at 4am on July 21.
The former private schoolgirl who lives in a £6.75m home in Wandsworth, with her wealthy parents, was spared jail after her Barrister told the court she was preparing to fly to Cape Town to work for an animal charity. The opposition is based on the growing concern that judges are showing preferential treatment to defendants from privileged backgrounds, a worry that can have repercussions for the legal principle of equality of treatment.Such judgments that go against the rule book leads to questions as to where the line will be drawn, if at all.