FOUR people have been convicted of offences relating to the tampering of a jury in 2018, including three people from Coventry.
On November 13, 2018, Leslie Allen was on trial at Warwick Crown Court for drug offences in the West Midlands.
Throughout the trial, evidence found Damien Drackley, 37 from Nuneaton and one of the jurors, had been discussing the case with his mother, 55-year-old Lorraine Frisby, who had connections to people who knew Allen.
Two of those connections, Mark Walker and Laurence Hayden from Coventry, were found to have relayed details discussed by the jury to Allen, through information provided to them by Frisby.
On November 20, 2018, after suspicions were raised in the courtroom, Warwickshire Police seized and examined Drackley’s phone.
The phone had multiple recordings between Drackley and his mother discussing the case along with ways they could encourage the jury to find Allen not guilty, so they could ‘benefit’ from his acquittal.
The jury was dismissed and Allen was sentenced to 13 years in jail after being found guilty of his drugs offences by the judge.
An investigation then began and Drackley and Frisby were arrested.
Evidence found Frisby to have been talking with Walker, who then spoke to Hayden and from there back to Allen.
Hayden and Walker were arrested on March 21, 2019.
At London’s Central Criminal Court, Walker, Allen and Hayden were convicted of conspiring to pervert the course of public justice.
Drackley was also convicted of this offence, as well as being a member of a jury engaged in prohibited conduct and intentionally disclosing a jury’s deliberations.
Frisby, from West Boulevard in Birmingham, was also charged and had already pleaded guilty to conspiring to pervert the course of public justice and soliciting the disclosure of jury deliberations.
Senior investigating officer Det Insp Collette O’Keefe from Warwickshire Police said: “This was a concerted effort by the individuals involved to exploit the judiciary system, in order for Leslie Allen to evade a lengthy custodial sentence.
“The actions of juror number one – Damian Drackley – sought to undermine his public duty for his own financial gain.
“Thankfully the plan failed, and Allen was convicted. These types of cases are extremely rare, but nonetheless involved a meticulous police investigation in order to identify the parties involved.
“I wish to acknowledge the hard work of the police team and the support of the Warwick jury and court staff who assisted in bringing this case to court.
“We welcome the attentiveness of this jury resulting in today’s convictions and in delivering justice.“
Sentencing will take place on January 27, 2023.
