Catherine Leahy found guilty of interfering in drugs trial in first case of its kind in Scotland

A juror who accepted a bribe has been jailed in the first prosecution of its kind in Scotland.



Catherine Leahy served on a jury in a drug trafficking and money laundering trial at the high court in Glasgow, which returned a not proven verdict in April 2016 after three days of deliberation.

A police investigation was launched after information was passed to the Crown Office about an alleged bribe to a juror. Audio surveillance was used to capture recordings of Leahy talking to a family member at her home in Glasgow about the allegations against her.

At her trial at the high court in Glasgow, the Crown Office said Leahy had received nearly £3,000, paid in four instalments into her bank account, between April and June 2016. Prosecutors linked the payments to the charge against Leahy, which was described as “a serious breach of public duty”.

Last month, she was found guilty of agreeing to receive money for not properly carrying out her role as a juror.

On Thursday, at the high court in Edinburgh, Leahy, 62, was sentenced to six years in jail.

In his sentencing statement, released by the Scottish judiciary, Lord Turnbull said: “To agree to accept a bribe from, or on behalf of the accused whilst serving as a juror in a high court trial, involves conduct which reflects such a serious breach of the public duty that forms the cornerstone of justice in our society as to constitute conduct at the most serious end of that contemplated by the provisions of the Bribery Act.

“The nature and seriousness of the lengthy trial in which you served as a juror, and accepted the position of spokesperson, aggravates the offence even further. It is obvious that a very lengthy custodial sentence is merited by such conduct.”

Leahy is the first juror to be prosecuted under the Bribery Act 2010.

Turnbull said the maximum sentence for the offence was 10 years but he took into account mitigating factors, including her lengthy history of employment and the fact she had never previously offended.

Prosecutors are giving further consideration to the circumstances of the original trial in which Leahy served as a juror. The Crown can ask the court for authority to bring a fresh prosecution in cases where a person was previously acquitted in certain circumstances, including when an offence against the course of justice in the original trial is considered to have been committed.

Liam Murphy, procurator-fiscal for specialist casework, said: “The role of the jury sits at the heart of our criminal justice system and is fundamental to our rule of law. This is the first prosecution of its kind in Scotland, which shows that cases of jury interference are exceptionally rare.

“Leahy took advantage of a position of public responsibility for financial gain without any regard to the consequences.”