A UK court has halted a trial involving alleged grooming and sexual abuse after concerns surfaced over jurors exchanging messages on WhatsApp, British media reported.
The case was underway at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court and focused on accusations of rape and sexual exploitation involving two teenage girls in Rochdale between 2003 and 2006.
The trial against six men began in October last year. It collapsed about two months later when a juror alerted court officials that several jury members had discussed a television programme about grooming gangs in a private WhatsApp group.
The disclosure prompted immediate judicial scrutiny. Presiding judge Matthew Corbett-Jones personally reviewed all messages exchanged in the group.
Court proceedings revealed that one juror warned others not to watch the programme. Despite that warning, another juror replied that they planned to watch it and added a smiley emoji. A second juror also expressed interest in viewing the broadcast.
🚨 Judge halted proceedings after evidence emerged that court rules may have been broken.
Find out more ⬇️https://t.co/ijpHsYzRoi pic.twitter.com/wRrIwNfLqY
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) January 23, 2026The judge later questioned all jurors. Each denied watching the programme. Defence lawyers challenged those statements and argued that the discussions undermined the jury’s impartiality. They asked the court to question the jurors again.
Judge Corbett-Jones declined the request. He agreed with the defence that unresolved doubts now surrounded the jury’s conduct.
In his ruling, the judge said the case had reached a point where no corrective step could restore confidence in the proceedings. He said multiple issues had combined to create uncertainty that the court could not resolve.
Rochdale 'grooming gang' trial collapsed after jurors set up a WhatsApp group to discuss the case https://t.co/tOQ6c48sPN
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) January 23, 2026The judge formally discharged the jury and brought the trial to an end. The court has scheduled a retrial for August.
On Friday, the court lifted reporting restrictions that had prevented publication of the reasons behind the jury’s dismissal. The decision followed an application by the Manchester Evening News.
The defendants Tahir Rashid (54), Mohammed Saleem (46), Iftaq Hussain (45), and Sucklane Shah (46) deny all rape charges. Arshad Mohammed (55) denies rape and assault by penetration. Amjad Mahmood (53) rejects allegations including rape, indecent assault, indecency with a child, and assault by penetration. Rashid has also denied a separate rape allegation dating back to the late 1980.
