Rochdale grooming trial: BNP may have ‘influenced’ trial

THE trial of nine Asian men who were jailed for grooming young white girls for sex may have been “improperly influenced” by far-right groups, it has been claimed.

The gang received jail sentences yesterday of between four and 19 years – with a combined total of 77 years – from a judge who said they treated their victims “as though they were worthless and beyond any respect”.

In comments which appeared to conflict with police insistence that there was no “racial or cultural” element to the crimes, Judge Gerald Clifton added: “One of the factors leading to that was the fact that they were not part of your community or religion.”

The judge said some of the men claimed their arrest “was triggered by race”.

But, he said: “That is nonsense. What triggered this prosecution was your lust and greed.”

The men have been convicted of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children under the age of 16 and other sexual offences including rape and trafficking for sexual exploitation.

At least one – Adil Khan – is already planning to appeal against the conviction, citing a tweet from British National Party leader Nick Griffin which apparently stated the jury’s position before the court had been informed.

The tweet led eight defence lawyers to ask for the jury to be discharged and a re-trial.

But, sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Clifton said there was “no evidence to suggest a juror was at fault” and allowed the case to continue. Khan’s solicitor, Alias Yousaf, said outside court: “It is of great concern that the chairman of the British National Party appeared to have been aware of the verdicts before they were even communicated to the court.

“We are left with no option but to conclude that the confidentiality of the jury’s deliberations must have been breached and we submit the proper inference should be drawn that there must have been improper communication from within the jury room to Nick Griffin and perhaps others.”

At the hearing Judge Clifton repeated his view that there had been no undue influence of the jury. He said the men had been convicted of “grave” sexual offences, which involved “grooming and sexually exploiting” several young girls. He told them the sentences he was about to pass “applied to all defendants, be they white or Asian”.

The man regarded as the ringleader, a 59-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed for a total of 19 years for conspiracy, two counts of rape, aiding and abetting a rape, sexual assault and a count of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation. Police sources said that further arrests linked to the gang could be in the offing.

Despite the comments from Judge Clifton, Greater Manchester Police continue to deny there was a “racial or cultural” element to the gang’s crimes and said it was about adults abusing vulnerable children.

A chance to stop the gang was missed in 2008 by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) who have apologised for their failings.

The first victim, who was 15 when the abuse began, told the police what had been happening, but her complaint was not taken seriously and she continued to be abused by the gang until December 2008.

The offences happened in and around Rochdale in 2008 and 2009.