Political donations kept secret because they could have 'done more harm than good', jurors told in closing arguments

Prosecution and defence counsels made their closing statements to the jury yesterday in the political donations landmark trial

By Sarah Ward

David Mackintosh is currently on trial accused of withholding information about donations to his successful 2015 election bid

After more than three weeks of testimony, the prosecution and defence have made their cases to the jury in the political donations trial involving former Northampton MP David Mackintosh and his businessman friend.

Prosecutor William Boyce KC painted the picture of Mackintosh as an ambitious local politician who wanted to become MP and needed Sixfields businessman Howard Grossman's cash to help him do so.

He said the pair concealed the multiple donations that went to Mackintosh’s campaign fighting fund in 2014 and that Mackintosh, who was leader of Northampton Borough Council at the time, was ‘actively involved’ in the deception, even hiding from his own political assistant Justin Gleich where the funds were coming from.

He said the Tory politician’s claims that he did not know where the donations were from was ‘almost laughable’.

Mackintosh, 44, of Station Court, Northampton and Grossman, 61, of Greenacres, Bushey, Middlesex, are accused of two counts of withholding information from a party treasurer during the period between April and September 2014 under the political parties, donations, elections and referendum act 2000.