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The 39-year-old appeared via video link from HMP Berwyn, near Wrexham, alongside an Albanian-speaking prisoner who had volunteered to help him understand what the judge was about to tell him.
A lack of court interpreters is delaying court hearings and risks miscarriages of justice, The Times has been told — with predictions that the problem is likely to get worse.
Craigavon Magistrates Court erupted in laughter on Friday when the interpreter for a defendant referred to District Judge Bernie Kelly as ‘Your Majesty’.
Figures from the Ministry of Justice give an insight into the cost of translators and interpreters in the justice system.