Sarah gets the verdict

A LYMM teenager enabled her school to win a prestigious mock trial competition – by keeping order in court.
Sarah Slattery (pictured), 16, a sixth former at Withington Girls’ School took on the role of clerk to the court – and turned in a performance which so impressed Recorder of Manchester Judge Andrew Gilbart that he declared her school winners.
Twelve schools took part in the competition at Manchester Crown Court, students taking on the roles of barristers, witnesses, court officers and the press for the trial of fictional cases in front of real judges.
The day’s cases involved subjects as varied as computer hacking and arson, which gave pupils an authentic taste of the judicial system.
Sarah, who 11 A* GCSE passes in the summer, is now studying Maths, English Literature, French, Latin and Greek at A-level with a view to reading Classics with French at university and a career travelling – perhaps in the Foreign Service.
Withington RE teacher Vincent Sharples, who accompanied the school’s court team, said: “It was an amazingly close run final between us and Stockport Grammar School.
“But the judge said the quality of Sarah’s performance as clerk, keeping order in the court, made the difference and he awarded Withington the extra two points that gave us the verdict.”