Jury in paedophile ring trial warned to keep silent after failing to reach verdict

Published on Wednesday 6 May 2009 18:12

A JURY was warned today to keep silent about an alleged paedophile ring as they failed to reach verdicts on eight men on trial.

Sending them home for the night judge Lord Bannatyne told them: "Can I reiterate something I said right at the start of the trial which, at this stage, is of critical importance, and that is: you must not discuss this case with anyone."

The seven men and seven women remaining had spent about five hours discussing the nine weeks of evidence and speeches they have heard.

They are due back at the High Court in Edinburgh tomorrow to continue their task.

The trial has included graphic evidence of alleged sex acts with young children and child pornography after a major police investigation uncovered some 125,000 indecent images at addresses in Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and East Lothian during 2007 and 2008.

On trial are service engineer Neil Strachan, 41; James Rennie, ex-chief executive of LGBT Youth Scotland, both from Edinburgh; Strachan's former gay partner IT worker Colin Slaven, 23, also of Edinburgh; bank worker Ross Webber, 27, of North Berwick, East Lothian; insurance claims adjuster Craig Boath, 24, of Dundee; Cake firm manager Neil Campbell, 46, of Glasgow; civil servant John Milligan, 40, of Glasgow and John Murphy, 44, of Glasgow, who works part-time as receptionist in a gay sauna.

They all face child porn charges.

Strachan, Rennie, Webber, Boath, Campbell and Milligan are also accused of a conspiracy to participate in the sexual abuse of children.

Strachan and Rennie also face charges alleging serious sexual offences against very young children – one of the youngsters said to have been molested by Rennie was as young as three months old.