Juror’s crush on officer put trial at risk

A counter-terrorism officer allegedly laughed and joked about a young female juror fancying him but failed to recognise the looming danger to his multi-million-pound case.

The bizarre episode towards the end of the “Three Musketeers” trial was more akin to Celebrity Love Island than the Old Bailey.

Detective Sergeant Ryan Chambers’ banter with a senior colleague during a break in court was overheard by Guardian reporter Alice Ross, who set in train events which nearly led to the terrorism trial crashing after more than four months of painstaking evidence.

The case, which also involved MI5, had already been rocked by four terror attacks and allegations by the defence of corruption within West Midlands Police who were accused of conspiring to get the four suspects off the streets, even if it meant planting evidence.

Senior judge Mr Justice Globe, who steered the trial through the thorny issue of secrecy in the national interest, faced a barrage of outrage and calls to abort the trial when they learned of the woman’s sexual interest in DS Chambers just days before the jury was sent out.

But after an urgent inquiry with two court staff, two jurors, prosecution and police, he decided to dismiss one woman from the panel who had acted alone as an ill-conceived “matchmaker”.