'Winking witness' jailed over jury-nobbling plot

Laurence Hayden was seen winking at a juror during the trial of drugs baron Leslie Allen

A man convicted of trying to fix the trial of a drugs baron by tampering with a jury has been jailed for more than three years.

Laurence Hayden, known as Del Boy, would also become known as the "winking witness" when during the trial of Leslie Allen he was spotted gesturing to a member of the jury who, it would emerge, had become embroiled in a plot to clear the drugs kingpin.

Hayden was subjected to extradition proceedings after fleeing to Spain and the 54-year-old, from Coventry, was convicted in his absence of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

His actions "struck at the very heart of the criminal process", the judge told him at Friday's sentencing hearing.

Hayden was the last of the co-conspirators to be sentenced.

Leslie Allen was found guilty of drugs offences without a jury and jailed for 13 years in 2018

During a 2022 trial of parties linked to the jury-tampering plot, the court heard how Hayden and three others were recruited by boxing promoter Allen to fix his 2018 trial for drugs offences.

The later Old Bailey proceedings heard how in Allen's original trial, at Warwick Crown Court, Hayden lied in the witness box and claimed a text message about "white cakes" referred to energy bars.

The Old Bailey proceedings also highlighted how Warwick jurors were puzzled when they saw Hayden visibly nod and wink at juror Damien Drackley.

• How jurors helped uncover plot to fix drugs trial

The conspiracy was said to have "failed spectacularly" after other jurors became suspicious of Drackley as they deliberated on verdicts.

The judge in the drugs trial went on to convict Allen without the jury and jailed him for 13 years.

Damien Drackley was on the jury at Leslie Allen's original trial and was part of the conspiracy

In December 2022, a jury returned guilty verdicts on four people over the jury-tampering plot.

Drackley, 37, from Nuneaton, plus Mark Walker, 57, from Coventry, and Allen, 66, also from the city, were convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice along with Hayden.

Drackley's mother Lorraine Frisby, 56, from Birmingham, had previously pleaded guilty to her part in the plan.

Allen received a five-year prison sentence, Drackley four years, Frisby two years and three months, and Walker nine months.

As he sentenced Hayden on Friday, Mr Justice Cavanagh told him he was a "major player" in the conspiracy and "demonstrated a complete disregard for the rule of law".

The judge added Hayden had shown "no real remorse" by travelling to Spain and jailed him for three years and eight months.