A murder trial witness convicted of benefit fraud had her bid to remain anonymous foiled by a weekly reporter in court.

Oliver Pritchard, of The Comet, Stevenage, successfully challenged Sherry Douglas’s attempt to have an order made under Section 11 of the Contempt of Court Act.

Chat line worker Douglas was moved to Stevenage from London for her own protection around 10 years ago after appearing as a witness in a murder trial, and her solicitor claimed that naming her could have put her in danger.

However Oliver showed proof that Douglas had posted a public profile on social media site Badoo which included her name, age, that she lived in Stevenage and several pictures of her.

Proceedings at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court on Monday were held up for around four hours as a result of the wrangle.

Douglas was spared jail after falsely claiming more than £4,500.

Ruling on the Section 11 decision, chairman of the bench David Owen told the court: “We place no factual restrictions on the reporting of proceedings.

“There is no credible threat to you and it is in the interests of open justice that this case goes ahead without any restrictions.”

In addition to a 12-week prison sentence, which has been suspended for a year, Douglas will have to pay £165 in court costs and a victim surcharge within the next 28 days.

Oliver, pictured above left, said: “I’m very glad the magistrates saw sense and didn’t impose the order.

“It is vitally important that open justice is maintained in this country and I feel that journalists play a vital role in keeping it that way.

“It was very convenient that the defendant suddenly remembered she needed to remain anonymous when The Comet’s photographer took pictures of her outside the court and was just an attempt to avoid the embarrassment of her named being published in the paper.

“She has committed a serious crime and deserved to be named.”