Former Cheshire Police officer jailed for researching defendant while sitting as a juror

A former police officer who was dismissed for gross misconduct has been jailed for six months after researching a defendant while sitting as a juror.

Jason Carr, 52, looked up the background of a defendant charged with serious sexual offences during a trial at Chester Crown Court in April 2022.

He even tried to persuade other jurors to do the same, telling them some of the information he had found out.

When the other jurors notified the judge of Carr's behaviour, the entire jury was released.

The trial also had to be re-listed, and begun all over again, meaning vulnerable witnesses had to give evidence once more.

When a full police investigation was carried out eight jurors confirmed Carr told them he had done research on the defendant and continued to make disclosures about them.

Officers also discovered Carr had made searches on the defendant and the Contempt of Court Act on both his mobile phone and laptop while he was a juror in the case.

Carr had claimed to be a retired police officer, but he had been dismissed by Cheshire Police in 2010 for gross misconduct.

On 10 May 2022 Carr was arrested and pleaded guilty to two charges of juror misconduct on 25 May 2023 at Liverpool Crown Court. He was jailed for six months.

The court heard at the beginning of the trial the jury had been warned by judge HHJ Leeming: "The evidence is what you see and hear in this courtroom, it comes from absolutely nowhere else.

"Do not carry out your own research."

Each juror was also given a leaflet detailing the following: “As a juror you have taken a legal oath or affirmation to try the defendant based only on the evidence you hear in court.

"It is illegal for you to look for any information at all about your case on the internet or anywhere else during the trial.”

The case carried on and the jury retired to deliberate on their verdict three days later, on 28 April.

But, before they resumed their deliberations the next day, a pair of jurors gave a note to the judge which said that Carr attempted to convince them to do their own background research on the case.

He also told them that he had found out information about the defendant.

The jury was released and the incident was referred by the Judge to the Attorney General.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Adam Till of CPS Mersey Cheshire’s Complex Casework Unit, said: “Jason Carr’s misconduct during a Crown Court trial was blatant and deliberate.

"This had the potential to affect the fairness of the proceedings in this case.

"Despite him expressing his remorse and detailing personal circumstances that led to his conduct, the Judge considered his behaviour arrogant and deliberate and so serious to warrant an immediate custodial sentence.

"The integrity of the criminal justice system in this country is dependent in no small part on the conduct of jurors.

"They are given clear direction by the courts and must abide by it. If they don’t, they will be before the courts themselves.”