Juror jailed for six years in Bribery Act first

Catherine Leahy served on a jury in a drug trafficking and money laundering trial which returned a not proven verdict in April 2016 following three days of deliberation.

A police investigation was instructed after information was passed to Crown Office staff regarding an alleged bribe to a juror.

Investigations resulted in suspicion falling on Ms Leahy. Police then used covert audio surveillance to capture recordings of her talking with a family member at her Glasgow home about the allegations against her.

At the High Court in Glasgow last month, Ms Leahy was found guilty of agreeing to receive money for not properly carrying out her role as a juror.

A trial heard that Ms Leahy paid nearly £3,000 in four installments into her bank account between April and June 2016. Prosecutors linked the bank payments to the charge against her.

Procurator fiscal for specialist casework, Liam Murphy, 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.

“The prosecution against Leahy was built on a thorough and complex investigation by Police Scotland using covert surveillance to uncover the true nature of the offence.”