Extradited Coventry man in court 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 appeared in court after his extradition from Spain.

Laurence Hayden, 54, nicknamed Del Boy the "winking witness", was convicted in his absence of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice in January.

Hayden, of Coventry, who wore glasses and had sunburn, appeared at the Old Bailey earlier on Thursday.

He is set to be sentenced on 23 June.

A trial heard how Hayden and three others were recruited by boxing promotor Leslie Allen to fix his 2018 trial on drugs offences.

The 2022 Old Bailey trial heard that in Allen's trial, jurors at Warwick Crown Court had been left puzzled when then witness Hayden had visibly nodded and winked at juror Damien Drackley as he went to give evidence.

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

• How jurors helped uncover plot to fix drugs trial

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

In December 2022, a jury returned guilty verdicts on four defendants who attempted to fix the 2018 trial.

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

Former juror Drackley, 38, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, along with Mark Walker, 57, Leslie Allen, 66, and Hayden, 54, all from Coventry, were all convicted of perverting the course of justice.

Hayden, who had also previously been convicted of an offence of intimidating a witness, was remanded into custody at Thursday's hearing.

Asked by Judge Mark Lucraft KC if there would be any bid for bail, Hayden's lawyer Alex Dunn replied: "My Lord, not a chance."