A juror who conspired with his mother to fix the trial of a boxing promoter for drug trafficking before blaming his mother has been jailed for four years.
Damien Drackley, 37, was found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice after he was promised £5,000 to clear another man of supplying £150,000 of drugs and the possession of a CS gas spray canister.
At Warwick Crown Court in 2018, Drackley, from Nuneaton, allegedly sulked when he was not chosen as jury foreman and told them the court proceedings were ‘a complete load of rubbish’.
One of the jurors, Dominyk Maggs, said he acted “unscrupulous and childish” before going on to say what was said in the defendant was “definitely not guilty”.
Damien Drackley, 37, (pictured), was found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice after he was promised £5,000 for another man to be allowed to supply £150,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis, in addition to owning a CS gas vaporizer.
Juror Dominyk Maggs told Southwark Crown Court today: ‘Juror number one found ‘definitely not guilty’. He said it was all made up, it was a pile of rubbish, nothing of what the prosecution said made no sense, none of the facts made sense, none of it followed anything, so he was not guilty on any level.
“He said he was aware of these things and what was presented was not factually correct.”
In the jury room, Drackley also claimed that he had knowledge of a pub and gymnasium in Coventry which were relevant to the trial – information which would have barred him from serving on the jury.
When the trial retired to consider its verdict, it was also said that Drackley shouted “not guilty, not guilty” and was “blunt and disruptive”.
Les Allen, 66, was tried for supplying drugs and possessing gas canisters five years ago
It was drug kingpin Leslie Allen, 66, who was on trial for supplying cocaine and cannabis, in addition to possessing gas canisters five years ago.
In addition to Drackley’s experience in the jury room, the defense Witness Laurence Hayden – also known as Delboy – was spotted winking at Drackley during the 2018 trial.
When this was revealed, the judge released the jury on the second day of deliberations and found Allen guilty of the charges himself, jailing him for 13 years and five consecutive years.
Prosecutor Tony Badenoch earlier told the court that Allen “was and is a major drug wholesaler and had both the money and the motive to seek to escape justice.”
He said: ‘He sought a different outcome in his own trial – not guilty verdicts and the possibility of avoiding that long prison sentence.
“He did this by promising financial inducements to a juror. Damien Drackley was promised a financial incentive.
“Leslie Allen also recruited other people to swear in his case, Laurence Hayden and Daniel Porter. They showed up at trial to give perjured testimony.
Hayden fled to Spain over the summer but was arrested and held in jail there, his conviction will be dealt with at a later date.
Daniel Porter, 40, was charged with lying as a witness, but has since died.
Drackley’s mother, Lorraine Frisby, 55 (left), earlier admitted to a plot to pervert the course of justice and was jailed for two years and three months for her involvement.
Now in court, Drackley admitted leaking jury deliberations when recounting the trial to his mother, but denied any conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
He said he couldn’t hide secrets from his “overbearing” mother and that she would have gotten it “one way or another”.
His mother, Lorraine Frisby, 55, had previously admitted conspiring to pervert the course of justice and was jailed for two years and three months for her involvement.
David Wood for Frisby said: ‘This offense committed by a 56 year old woman with no previous convictions is truly irrelevant.
“It’s a mistake she will forever regret and for which she is deeply sorry.”
Laurence Hayden – also known as Delboy – was spotted winking at Drackley during the trial
Drackley also claimed he was trying to impress his girlfriend when he bragged about the trial, but was found guilty of conspiracy with Allen, Hayden and Mark Walker, 57, who was given a sentence of 12 months.
It has been said that Drackley was overheard telling his girlfriend Tammy Davenport: “My mum and I know people who know the geezer who is on trial, there are two I know who will try to get guilty but I I will try and influence them, get others to say the same as me.
Prosecutor Mr Badenoch added: “Essentially there was a running commentary and dialogue between a compromised juror and the defendant. The dialogue extended to promises of financial benefits.
“It was, in short, a solution.”
Mark Walker (pictured), 57, had previously been sentenced to 12 months in prison
Stephen Bailey, defending Drackley, said: “He is heavily influenced by others, especially his mother who he had an intense relationship with.
“He could and should have said no to discussing the issues from day one.”
Judge Mr Justice Cavanagh said: ‘This was a complex plot, carefully planned and very cynical. Each of the two sides 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 needs to be a deterrent for an offense like this, which strikes at the heart of the justice system.”
Speaking to Drackley, Judge Cavanagh said: ‘You were the central player in this strand. You bear a particularly grave responsibility because you acted consistently and flagrantly in violation of your sworn oath.
“Your mother no doubt emboldened you in your misbehavior and, without her connections and involvement, it probably never would have occurred to you to contact Leslie Allen.”
But the judge added: “You were old enough to stand up to your mother and take responsibility for your own actions.”
Allen, of HMP Oakwood, Drackley, of Nuneaton, Hayden, of Coventry and Walker, of Coventry, denied but were found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Frisby, of West Boulevard, Birmingham, admitted conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
