Group Accused Of Nobbling Jury With £20 Giveaway Outside Court

Patrick & Rita Cleere

A defendant facing a major Crown Court trial recruited family and friends to dole out twenty pound notes and business cards to potential jurors and successfully nobbled the case, a jury heard today.

Patrick Cleere, 66, had failed in his repeated efforts to adjourn his trial and with the help of his wife Rita Cleere, 66, great-nephew Adam Cleere, 23, and others tried to scupper it, the court was told.

The group congregated around Blackfriars Crown Court, handing out the unique wooden business cards for Patrick’s candle company. 

They also distributed the cash to everyone entering and leaving.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty at Harrow Crown Court to one count each of doing an act to pervert the course of justice on July 16, last year.   

Adam & Natalie Cleere

They are: Patrick and Rita Cleere, of Ealing Village, Madeley Road, Ealing.

Adam Cleere, of Wellesley Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

Patrick’s niece Natalie Cleere, 45, of Vineyard Court, Kings Parade, Clacton-on-Sea.

Rajiv Netto, 51, of Rodden Road, From, Somerset and Hungarian national Hajnalka Romvari, 37.

The trial is expected to last two weeks

Jurors did take cash and many of the business cards were found in the jury room, resulting in the trial being postponed.  

Prosecutor Mr. Robin Sellers told the jury: “Patrick Cleere and five others were due to stand trial on criminal charges, which he asserted he was not ready for.”

Rajiv Netto

The jury were not given any information regarding the nature of that case.

“On the day of the trial Patrick and these defendants arrived together, some carrying clipboard and all wearing lanyards around their necks showing his business card.

“They approached individuals making their way in, explaining they were representing Candleverse Ltd. and were enticing people to look at the company website.

“Instead of discount vouchers they handed out twenty pound notes and the wooden Candleverse business cards.

“Most importantly and uppermost in Patrick Cleere’s mind were that these people were potentially to be selected to serve on the jury for his trial," Mr. Sellers explained to the jury.

“The company was in the evidence of the trial so jurors may have been compromised," continued the prosecutor.

“Any juror would recognise Candleverse if they received a card and maybe view the company in a positive light, known as bribing or tampering with a jury.

Hajnalka Romvari

“These defendants together carried out this act with the intention of derailing that trial that day.

“They were arrested that day outside Blackfriars Crown Court and Adam said he did not even know his great uncle was on trial and Rita described it as a: ‘charitable exercise.’

“All of this is nonsense. These defendants knew why they were there and what they were doing and that was to derail the trial.”

Trial continues………….