Her Majesty's Advocate v Thomas Sheridan and Gail Sheridan was the 2010 criminal prosecution of Tommy Sheridan, a former Member of the Scottish Parliament and his wife Gail Sheridan for perjury in relation to an earlier civil case called Sheridan v News Group Newspapers.In Scotland criminal prosecutions in the High Court are normally brought in the name of the Lord Advocate. Tommy Sheridan was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison, whereas Gail was acquitted.
Background
In 2006, Tommy Sheridan, formerly convenor of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP), successfully sued the newspaper News of the World for defamation after it printed a series of articles containing allegations that an MSP had had affairs and visited a sex club. Sheridan was awarded £200,000 in damages, which he has still not received pending an appeal. Controversy over the case led to a split in the SSP shortly afterwards, with Sheridan forming a breakaway party, Solidarity.
In August 2006, a group of SSP activists claimed claim that during meetings Sheridan had with them, he made admissions inconsistent with his evidence in the court case, in particular admitting that he had affairs and visited a swingers' club in Manchester.Lorna Martin "Civil war intensifies in Sheridan's party", The Guardian, 13 August 2006 In October 2006, the News of the World released a videotape which showed Sheridan admitting that he had visited the club, and admitting that he had admitted this to the SSP Executive.
On 2 October 2006, the Procurator Fiscal decided that there were grounds for an investigation into perjury, and instructed Lothian and Borders Police to proceed. In February 2007, the Crown Office asked Lothian and Borders Police undertake a full inquiry after receiving a preliminary report,Sheridan trial: perjury inquiry stepped up – Herald Scotland. Theherald.co.uk (21 February 2007). Retrieved 2011-02-13. which was scaled up in May 2007, with the number of officers assigned to the case doubling to 20.
During late 2006 and early 2007, the police interviewed several SSP members and other witnesses, and seized computers.Perjury police to quiz Sheridan witnesses – Scotsman.com News. The Scotsman. Retrieved 13 February 2011.Police focus on Sheridan sex trial witness – Herald Scotland . Sundayherald.com (17 March 2007). Retrieved 2011-02-13.Jersey visitfor Sheridan probe police – Herald Scotland . Sundayherald.com (31 March 2007). Retrieved 2011-02-13.
In December 2007, Tommy Sheridan was charged with perjury, and by February six more people were also charged: Graeme McIver, John Penman, Pat Smith and Rosemary Byrne (all members of Sheridan's new party Solidarity who had been at the disputed SSP executive meeting of November 2004) plus Sheridan's wife, Gail and her father, Angus Healy.
The trial
Preliminary hearings At a preliminary hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh on 13 July 2009, the indictment against Tommy and Gail Sheridan was made public.Sheridan perjuy case: full indictment – Herald Scotland. Theherald.co.uk (13 July 2009). Retrieved 2011-02-13. Both were charged with perjury in relation to several issues at the civil trial, and Tommy Sheridan was also charged with subornation of perjury by allegedly attempting to persuade Colin Fox to commit perjury at this trial.
Both accused took pleas in bar of trial on the basis of prejudicial pre-trial publicity, and sought to raise devolution minutes. At a preliminary hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh between 28 and 30 July 2010, the trial judge Lord Bracadale, heard legal arguments on these matters. At the close of the hearing, the preliminary pleas were repelled and the devolution minutes refused. Due to the high-profile nature of the case, Lord Bracadale took the somewhat unusual step of issuing a note, setting forth his reasons for repelling the preliminary pleas and detailing his directions given to the jury with respect to media publicity.
Representation
The prosecution was led by Alex Prentice QC, his junior was David Nicolson.
Initially, Sheridan hired Donald Findlay QC to defend him, but he later dropped him in favour of Margaret Scott QC, who represented Abdelbaset al-Megrahi in an appeal against his conviction for the Lockerbie bombing. Junior counsel for Sheridan was Shelagh McCall. Gail was represented by Paul McBride QC and Billy Lavelle. Her solicitor was John Paul Mowbray.
On 11 October it was announced that Sheridan had dismissed Margaret Scott, and would conduct his own defence. He retained his solicitor Aamer Anwar, who the judge appointed as amicus curiae.Tommy Sheridan to keep his own counsel – The Scotsman. The Scotsman. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
The full trial started on 4 October 2010 at the Glasgow High Court before Lord Bracadale, with a jury of 13 women and 2 men, mostly younger women with one ethnic minority juror.Criminal trials in Scotland have a jury of 15, at that time with verdicts by simple majority, see Trial by jury in Scotland. On 15 December the judge excused one of the women jurors from serving further; the trial continued with 14 jurors.
On 25 November and again on 2 and 20 December the prosecution removed a number of charges from the indictment.
Prosecution case An important issue was the crucial SSP executive meeting of 9 November 2004, where Sheridan resigned as convenor. 16 witnesses who were present claimed that he did admit to visiting Cupids sex club in Manchester at this meeting.BBC News – Witness claims Tommy Sheridan court win was 'OJ moment'. Bbc.co.uk (1 November 2010). Retrieved 2011-02-13. Barbara Scott, the minute secretary, claimed that the minutes and her notes support this claim.‘Tommy was losing the plot … he wanted minutes to disappear’ – Herald Scotland Crime & Courts. Herald Scotland (6 October 2010). Retrieved 2011-02-13.
An important piece of evidence was a tape which was filmed secretly a few days after this meeting, showing Sheridan making a "foul-mouthed tirade" containing statements inconsistent with his evidence in the civil trial.Guardian report 11 October 2010 Under cross-examination Alan McCombes denied scripting the video, as alleged by Sheridan. Bob Bird, Scottish editor of the News of the World, gave evidence about how the paper acquired the tape.BBC News – Newspaper editor 'stripped to see Tommy Sheridan tape'. Bbc.co.uk (12 November 2010). Retrieved 2011-02-13.A full transcript of this tape was published in the News of the World on 26 December 2010. While giving evidence, Bird said that emails relating to Sheridan may have been lost. The next day Tom Watson MP contacted the Information Commissioner, asking him to investigate whether the News of the World was in breach of the Data Protection Act.Watson and Hickman Dial M for Murdoch p. 141
Katrine Trolle, a Danish woman who was the SSP candidate in Aberdeen North in the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, claimed that she had had an affair with Sheridan (on one occasion in the bedroom in his home in Glasgow) and visited Cupids sex club with him on 27 September 2002.Tommy Sheridan 'was not at festival' in Glasgow BBC News 22 October 2010 This was supported by a former housemate of Trolle and her ex-boyfriend who claimed that Sheridan spent the night with Trolle at her home in Dundee.Evening Times 27 October Gary Clark, a former professional footballer and childhood friend of Sheridan, claimed to have visited a club in Manchester with Sheridan which showed pornographic videos.BBC News – Tommy Sheridan 'attended porn TV club in Manchester'. Bbc.co.uk (25 October 2010). Retrieved 2011-02-13. Anvar Khan, a News of the World journalist, claimed that she had visited Cupids sex club with Sheridan and had an affair with him. This was supported by a former neighbour of Khan, who claimed to have seen Khan and Sheridan appear from the direction of a bedroom. A former worker in Cupids BBC News – Worker 'saw Tommy Sheridan at wife swapping club'. Bbc.co.uk (3 November 2010). Retrieved 2011-02-13. and another witness BBC News – Tommy Sheridan trial hears he suffered a 'weakness of the flesh'. Bbc.co.uk (18 November 2010). Retrieved 2011-02-13. claimed to have seen Sheridan in Cupids. A number of SSP activists also claimed that in the course of discussions Sheridan had made admissions about his personal life inconsistent with his evidence in the civil trial.STV News 3 NovemberBBC Scotland News 18 NovemberBBC News – Tommy Sheridan 'admitted attending hotel sex party'. Bbc.co.uk (19 November 2010). Retrieved 2011-02-13.
The final chapter of the prosecution case involved a sex party which Sheridan allegedly attended at the Moat House Hotel in Glasgow. All charges related to this matter were dropped following Crown witness Matt McColl's testimony and cross examination. During his appearance in court he was warned for contempt of court due to his reluctance to name his then girlfriend and now wife, as well as agreeing he had previously told police that Sheridan had not been at the Moat House.BBC News – Witness in 'omission over seeing Tommy Sheridan'. Bbc.co.uk (24 November 2010). Retrieved 2011-02-13.BBC News – Charges dropped in Tommy Sheridan perjury trial. Bbc.co.uk (25 November 2010). Retrieved 2011-02-13.
On 2 December the prosecution completed its case. It dropped the charge of subornation of perjury on the grounds of lack of corroboration, and some points from the charges of perjury against both Sheridans.Sheridan trial: Fox case is dropped – Scotsman.com News. The Scotsman. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
Defence case The defence opened its case on 3 December. Both Sheridans declined to act as witnesses themselves. Many of the witnesses called by Sheridan were members of Solidarity, his own party, including Hugh Kerr, Rosemary Byrne and Mike Gonzalez. He also called Andy Coulson, Downing Street director of communications and former News of the World editor, who denied that he had any knowledge of phone hacking at the News of the World, or that he knew Glenn Mulcaire, the private detective at the centre of controversy. Tom Watson had briefed Sheridan's team about alleged phone hacking a few days earlier.
Four witnesses who were present at the crucial SSP executive meeting of 9 November 2004 claimed that Sheridan did not admit to visiting a sex club at the meeting.BBC News – Court hears Tommy Sheridan denied sex club claims. Bbc.co.uk (2 November 2010). Retrieved 2011-02-13.
On 17 December the defence case completed. The prosecution then dropped the last remaining charge against Gail Sheridan, who was acquitted by the judge.Gail Sheridan cleared of perjury in husband's defamation case – Scotsman.com News. The Scotsman. Retrieved 13 February 2011. Later that day her solicitor made a statement on her behalf outside the court thanking her legal team.
Summations Alex Prentice gave his closing speech on 20 December. Sheridan gave his closing speech on 21–22 December, Lord Bracadale gave his summing-up, the jury then retired to consider their verdict and were later sent home for the night.BBC News – Gail Sheridan cleared of perjury charges. Bbc.co.uk (17 December 2010). Retrieved 2011-02-13.
Verdict On 23 December the jury found Sheridan guilty of five of six perjury charges, acquitting him of the perjury charge related to his alleged affair with Anvar Khan. He was bailed pending background reports.
On 26 January he was sentenced to three years in prison.Tommy Sheridan jailed for three years Glasgow and West STV News . News.stv.tv (26 January 2011). Retrieved 2011-02-13. On both days Gail Sheridan made a statement outside the court saying that she was standing by her husband.
Sheridan was released on licence on 30 January 2012, having served just over one year of his sentence.
Aftermath
After the trial, the Crown Office issued a statement saying that no further action would be taken against six other people charged with perjury in relation to the civil trial, five of whom were Sheridan's associates (see above).