Juror Matthew Banks jailed for seeing West End show

Banks was described as "frivolous" by the judge at Manchester Crown Court

A juror who pretended he was sick so he could go to a West End musical has been jailed for two weeks.

Matthew Banks, 19, told officials at Manchester Crown Court he was ill but he had actually gone to London to watch Chicago.

The trial was halted for a day as other jurors were sent home.

Judge Martin Rudland labelled the student "frivolous" and ordered he served a 14-day sentence at a Young Offenders' Institution.

Judge Rudland said he was jailing Banks, who could spend Christmas in prison, for contempt of court "with a heavy heart". However, the judge said that lying to court officials for such a frivolous reason was a serious offence.

The week-long trial, which Banks had been sitting on, later continued in his absence with the remaining 11 jurors reaching a verdict, Judicial Communications Office officials said.