‘Jury tampering teen asked for wrong verdict’
A TEENAGER used to bribe jurors to give a not guilty verdict “got her words wrong” and asked them to convict the accused, a court heard.
The 15-year-old girl, who cannot be named, was allegedly part of a gang who approached five members of a jury to offer them £500 each. The jurors were deliberating in a manslaughter trial at Leeds crown court involving a “cash for crash” insurance scheme.
Prosecutor Peter Moulson QC said the fire alarm was deliberately set off so the jury could be filmed. Jurors were approached next day but informed the court and were discharged.
Shahrear Islam-Miah, 27, of no fixed address, Abdilahi Ahmed, 27, of Leeds, West Yorks, and Haroon Sharif, 21, of Altrincham, Manchester, deny conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Five others have admitted the offence.
The case against the girl was dropped as she has the cognitive functions “of an eight or nineyear-old child”. The trial continues.