Drug kingpin, one-legged mechanic and rogue juror ‘attemped to fix trial’
A drugs kingpin, a rogue juror and his mother, and a one-legged mechanic have been jailed for attempting to fix a trial.
Boxing promoter Leslie Allen, 66, enlisted the quartet to help him get off charges of having £150,000 of cannabis, cocaine and pepper spray in 2018.
Damien Drackley, 37, the juror involved in the plot, was promised £5,000 to get Allen cleared of the charges.
However, he sulked when he was not chosen as foreman and told other jurors at Warwick Crown Court: “He’s not guilty, nothing is ever going to change my mind,” before they had discussed the evidence.
He then pulled his hood over his head and said: “I’m not going to participate anymore.”
His vocal support of the defendant made other jurors question the case, Tony Badenoch, prosecuting, told the court at an earlier session.
When the jury at the Warwick trial retired to consider its verdict, Drackley shouted “Not guilty, not guilty” and was “abrupt and disruptive”.
Laurence Hayden, a defence witness also known as Del Boy, was arrested for giving false evidence at the trial after he was spotted winking at Drackley.
When the skullduggery came to light, Judge Andrew Lockhart discharged the jury on the second day of deliberations and found Allen guilty of the charges, jailing him for 13 years.
Drackley admitted disclosing jury deliberations by telling his mother Lorraine Frisby, 55, about the trial, but denied conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
He told the court that he could not keep secrets from his mother, who he said was “bossy” and would have got it out of him “one way or another”.
Drackley also claimed he was trying to impress his girlfriend when he boasted about the trial, but he was convicted of conspiracy along with Allen, Hayden, 53, and Mark Walker, 57.
Frisby earlier admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. She was jailed for two years and three months for her involvement.
Allen refused to leave HMP Oakwood where he is serving his 13-year sentence and was ordered to serve five years consecutively.
Hayden, who fled to Spain last summer, was arrested and has been detained in a prison there. His sentencing will be dealt with at a later date.
Walker, who was also known as “Walker the One-legged Mechanic”, was given a 12-month sentence.
Mr Justice Cavanagh said: ‘This was a complex, carefully planned, and very cynical conspiracy. Each of the two strands of the conspiracy struck at the very heart of the criminal justice process.
“Each participant knowingly and willingly took part in a serious and determined attempt to pervert the course of justice.
“There must be a deterrent element for offending such as this, which strikes at the heart of the system of justice.”
Addressing Drackley at the Old Bailey, Justice Cavanagh said: “You were the central player in this strand. You bear a particularly grave responsibility because you acted consistently and flagrantly in breach of your jury oath.
“Your mother undoubtedly encouraged you in your misconduct and, without her connections and involvement, it would probably have never occurred to you to contact Leslie Allen.”
However, the judge added: “You were old enough to stand up to your mother and take responsibility for your own actions.”
Another juror, Daniel Porter, was also charged with the offence for lying as a witness, but has since died.
