Jury sent out to deliberate in the Northampton political donations trial
Jury sent out to deliberate in the Northampton political donations trial
After three weeks of evidence, the jury will now decide whether former Northampton MP David Mackintosh and his friend Howard Grossman are guilty or innocent of the crimes alleged against them
By Sarah Ward
The jury in the David Mackintosh political donations trial was sent out to deliver its verdict this morning.
After listening to three weeks of evidence at Leamington crown court the jury was sent out at 10.22am to start its deliberations.
It’s members now have to decide whether they agree with the crown prosecution that former Northampton South MP David Mackintosh, 44 of Station Court, Northampton and his businessman friend Howard Grossman, 61 of Greenacres, Bushey, Middlesex, are guilty of withholding information from a local political party treasurer about the true source of £39,000 of donations made to Mackintosh’s election campaign in a period during 2014.
Both men deny the charges.
Yesterday Mrs Justice Jennifer Eady began her summing up of the case, taking the jury through the evidence that had been heard by connected people such as local party chairman Suresh Patel, former chairman Michael Clarke and also Daniel Adamson the head of monitoring and enforcement at the Electoral Commission.
She also went through the evidence that former leader of Northampton Borough Council Mackintosh gave to the jury on the stand last week, in which he claimed he had no knowledge that the money was coming from Grossman and had never had a conversation with his friend about his making donations.
Grossman, who became friendly with Mackintosh following his involvement with the Northampton Sixfields stadium project which began after a council loan in 2013, did not take to the witness box to give evidence.
It is his case that he is not guilty of withholding information because he was told to donate the £39,000 through third parties on the advice of local party chairman Mr Patel. Earlier in the trial Mr Patel had denied the allegation, saying he did not even meet Grossman until after the donations were made. He denied having a conversation with the businessman about donations at the opening of the Northampton Bus station in 2014.
In her direction this morning the judge told the jury they had to go through a series of questions to become ‘sure’ about whether the two had committed the crimes they are charged with. She told them to assess whether Grossman, who has admitted being the source of the donations, was guilty first and said if they found Grossman not guilty, they must automatically do the same for Mackintosh.
The trial continues.