Hundreds of trials derailed by failure to get defendants to court on time

Number of trials in England and Wales declared ‘ineffective’ because of delays has almost trebled under contracts Serco and GeoAmey

Hundreds of trials are being derailed because prison vans fail to transport the defendant to court on time, figures show.

A Guardian analysis found 207 crown court trials in England and Wales were declared “ineffective” in 2023 – meaning they were postponed on the day – because the prison escort and custody service (Pecs) failed to produce the accused. That figure was up 44% on the year before and a near trebling of the number from five years ago.