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By-election trial hears from pensioners

Thu, 11 Oct 2012

The Douglas East By-election fraud trial has been hearing from an Island pensioner who was allegedly duped into handing over her proxy vote.

Elsie Ellwood said she was ‘maddened’ when she discovered the proxy vote application had been made in her name.

A woman on the canvassing team for Kevin Woodford had visited her in May 2010, with Mrs Ellwood believing her to be from the government.

The court heard how Mrs Ellwood was asked to sign a form, which she did thinking it was organising transport to the polling station for her to canvas her vote.

The document was a proxy application which then allowed someone else to vote on her behalf.

Her statement was one of several Douglas pensioners who had also signed the applications when visited by members of Mr Woodford’s canvassing team.

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