Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan described the woman’s exchanges as inappropriate and unwise
A Co Armagh man jailed for murdering his infant son failed in a legal bid to overturn the conviction based on social media postings by a member of the jury panel.
Craig Rowland, 30, was found guilty of a violent shaking attack which ultimately led to the death of Lewis Oliver Rowland.
Court of Appeal judges rejected claims that the female juror’s response after being urged mid-trial on Facebook to “lock him up” rendered the conviction unsafe.
Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan described the woman’s exchanges as inappropriate and unwise.
But she ruled: “There was no evidence the juror acted on the exhortation to convict, or that it infiltrated the juror room.”
Rowland, from Millington Park in Portadown, is serving a minimum 20 years in prison for the murder of Lewis.
The little boy was just 13 weeks old when he sustained catastrophic brain injuries and severe disabilities back in November 2025.
He was later taken into foster care, but in October 2018 he died at the age of three following surgical complications.
Rowland admitted a charge of child neglect over a failure to obtain timely medical treatment.
However, in October last year a jury also found him guilty of his son’s murder by having shaken him so violently that it directly resulted in his subsequent death.
Defence lawyers challenged the conviction after they later discovered one member of the jury’s Facebook activity during the trial.
The Court of Appeal heard the woman posted three sad face emojis under an online media report on one day’s evidence about injuries the child had suffered.
At another stage in the trial she also put up the comment “wee early day”.
Another Facebook user responded to her by stating: “Lock him up already then throw away the key.”
She replied to that message with monkey emoji and the words “You crack me up.”
Although the social media postings were referred to Northern Ireland’s Attorney General, a decision was made not to charge her with contempt of court after she wrote a letter of apology.
Counsel for Rowland, Seamus McNeill KC, argued the alleged online misconduct suggested a risk that the jury process had been undermined.
“You can draw an inference that this lady either didn’t adhere to her oath, or she brought into the jury room material that her friend or follower was telling her to ‘lock him up’,” the barrister claimed.
David Russell KC, prosecuting, insisted there was no evidence she acted on any encouragement.
Backing those submissions, the three appeal judges identified nothing to suggest any risk of bias,
Dame Siobhan, sitting with Lord Justices McCloskey and Colton, said the woman’s letter to the Attorney General showed she was genuinely embarrassed and sorry for her actions.
“The social media material was unfortunate and inappropriate in parts,” the Lady Chief Justice stated.
“The exchanges were clearly unwise… but the real risk of jury contamination is far from established.”
She confirmed: “We have decided that the appeal should be dismissed and that the conviction is safe.”
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
#Craig #Rowland #fails #overturn #murder #conviction #based #jury #members #Facebook #post
