Police investigating claims jury was bribed to fix Fleetwood chairman's trial
Lancashire Police have reopened an investigation into claims a jury was bribed to fix the fraud trial of former Fleetwood Town FC's chaiman Andy Pilley.
Pilley, 52, was sentenced to 13 years in prison at Preston Crown Court in July 2023 after being found guilty of fraud and money laundering totalling around £15m.
A member of the jury in the case has since alleged he was offered £20,000 to convict Pilley and that "there would be consequences" if he did not.
The juror, who says he fled the country towards the end of the trial, also told police other jurors had accepted the bribe.
The juror claims he reported the matter to the police after Pilley was sentenced, but was told "hours later" they would not be pursuing his accusations.
In October, the investigation into the juror's accusations was closed as "there was no evidence of any criminal wrongdoing".
Since then, Pilley's legal team has been told the case has now been 're-opened' and is being investigated.
During the trial, the court was told Andy Pilley was a leading figure of what National Trading Standards called "a web of interconnected companies that misled innocent small businesses across the UK".
Pilley worked with other fraudsters to con small business owners, locking them into signing long-term energy contracts between 2014 and 2016.
Pilley was sentenced alongside his sister Michelle Davidson and two other associates; Lee Qualter, 52, from Cleveleys and Joel Chapman, 38, from Willerby in Yorkshire.
During sentencing, Judge Knowles KC said: “Cold-calling liars and manipulators duped very large numbers of honest and decent proprietors of sandwich shops, hair salons, small hotels and the like into long and expensive contracts for their gas and electricity.
"The bills they had to pay came to tens of millions of pounds… Pilley devised and enforced an elaborate pretence that the sales team were independent of the supply companies.
"The truth was that he owned them and he called the shots. Michelle Davidson…knew of the pretence and the reasons for it and she let the money pour in.”
In a statement to ITV Granada Reports, Lancashire Police said: 'While the initial investigation was closed this was subject to review by senior officers which is standard practice as part of the closure process and as a result, we can confirm that this investigation remains subject to further enquiries by officers. It would be inappropriate to say any more at this time.'
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