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Murderer David Gilroy's Sentencing To Be Televised In Legal First

Posted: 10/04/2012 17:15 Updated: 10/04/2012 17:18   PA

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Davidgilroy
David Gilroy, with wife Andrea, will have his sentencing recorded for television

The sentencing of a man convicted of murdering a missing woman whose body has never been found will be filmed for TV in a legal first.

Permission has been granted to film the judge's sentencing of David Gilroy for the murder of Suzanne Pilley at the High Court in Edinburgh next week.

The camera will focus on judge Lord Bracadale and no other person will feature in the footage except the macer and the clerk, the Judiciary of Scotland said.

Lord Hamilton, the Lord President and Lord Justice General, approved the application from broadcaster STV.

Gilroy, from Edinburgh, was found guilty of murdering Ms Pilley, 38, on 15 March. He was also found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by concealing the office worker's body and driving it to various locations in Scotland in the boot of his car.

Filming will start when his defence lawyer finishes the plea in mitigation at the sentencing hearing on 18 April. Gilroy, 49, will not be filmed.

An STV spokeswoman said: "This is the first time in the UK that TV news cameras have been allowed to film a sentencing in a criminal court, and we're pleased that STV has been instrumental in making that happen.

"This development will allow viewers a rare insight into the closing stages of what has been a very controversial murder case."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: "By televising this, people like Gilroy who have been found guilty of such a shocking crime will face a day of reckoning. The public will be able to see justice being done."

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The sentencing of a man convicted of murdering a missing woman whose body has never been found will be filmed for TV in a legal first. Permission has been granted to film the judge's sentencing of ...
The sentencing of a man convicted of murdering a missing woman whose body has never been found will be filmed for TV in a legal first. Permission has been granted to film the judge's sentencing of ...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Norman Mitchison
92 Fans
 
05:12 PM on 04/11/2012
One consolation is that Huffpost wont be able to misreport it.....or will it?
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Fletching
9 Fans
04:03 PM on 04/11/2012
And have the same situation as Sadam Hussain's hanging shouting abuse across the scaffold. This happened in this country in the 18th century with a woman (quite powerful: knocking anybody near her down. She continued this whilst being hanged in kicking people.
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tutanhaken
8 Fans
03:22 PM on 04/11/2012
Bring back hanging ? and lets have that televised next....would be far more interesting that what rubbish they put on the tv nowadays....we could also set up a syndicate of women knitting (SIMILAR TO THE GULLOTINE IN FRANCE) and give all that has been knitted to the old and poor of this country who are being robbed by this government.............................. lol
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Electrastar
65 Fans
01:50 PM on 04/11/2012
Many criminal faces with their names are seen in newspapers and on TV almost every day when crimes are reported, so what difference is there in showing the same face in court on TV ?
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katertaif
My wife thinks I have one fault. Everything I do!
530 Fans
12:46 PM on 04/11/2012
When cameras were allowed into the house of commons, we saw what a shanbolic parliamentary system we really have with MP's charged with running our country behaving like children, and badly behaved children at that. I only hope the same will not apply when we see the judicial system in action.
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majdf18148
I have nothing to declare but my curiosity
248 Fans
10:58 AM on 04/11/2012
Well, this post has attracted some vitriol, much of it shallow it seems to me. We ARE mostly voyeurs in one sense or another. It's part of being an inquisitive human being. How many people can honestly say they don't strain their necks to see what might have happened as they pass a traffic accident? How many of us can say we aren't appalled but can't help but look when we see people or bodies at the side of the road following such an accident? On the one hand we shout for more transparency and then when it starts being available we scream abuse at it.I will put my head above the parapet and declare I believe this to be a good thing. It will give an insight into the judicial system, let people see how the judge arrives at whatever sentence he arrives at and maybe, just maybe, instil a bit of fear into would be criminals.The much decried US system is at least totally open for all to see. Ours is still shrouded in mystery and the enclave of the privileged, except for the jury of course. Let's have more transparency, let's better understand how our courts work and let's have less paranoia and carping.
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mgibo1
38 Fans
09:31 AM on 04/11/2012
On to the slippery slope. Next step = "The Running Man". Producers will then start scripting the Judges. None of this is in the name of the law, it's in the name of Big Brother propaganda.
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Nissy09
0 Fans
09:30 AM on 04/11/2012
Looks like prime time TV cant afford to make proper entertainment lets follow in the footsteps of America we usually do Lets have real hangings then we could all enjoy it live does he get a fee for being the star of the show (What rubbish) i thought wrongly that TV was about entertainment & education.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Dombeyandson
53 Fans
 
07:47 AM on 04/11/2012
"This development will allow viewers a rare insight into the closing stages of what has been a very controversial murder case."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: "By televising this, people like Gilroy who have been found guilty of such a shocking crime will face a day of reckoning. The public will be able to see justice being done."
Is there no end to the ingenious reality TV pundits who insist in calling voyeurism entertainment - little wonder crime of the worse kind is increasing. Back to the public hangings on a Saturday afternoon then? Is "justice" in such dire straits as to look publicly for appreciation? It won't stop people from indiscriminate actions
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jmt432p
108 Fans
02:21 AM on 04/11/2012
Another victory for commerce
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DISGUSTED WITH COST
16 Fans
11:23 PM on 04/10/2012
.... and just as he is being sentenced, the " victim " makes a grand entrance.
Now that would be great television !!!!
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alangraham05
19 Fans
10:38 PM on 04/10/2012
i don't want to see criminals sentenced, i just want to see them staying in jail for the full term of their sentence.
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israel hands
13 Fans
09:21 PM on 04/10/2012
I really don't see the point in tis exercise if you are only going to see the faces of the judge and a couple of extras. The whole case should have been televised so justice could have seen to be done. The modern day version of hanging it is not.
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vindi boy
30 Fans
09:07 PM on 04/10/2012
This the modern day version of public hanging.Justice will be seen to have been done,which may bring some comfort to those left behind.
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