Police welcome outcome of by-election trial

Wed, 19 Dec 2012

The police have welcomed the outcome of what’s been described as an unprecedented court case.

Yesterday Deemster David Turner handed down sentences to three people involved in an attempt to get chef Kevin Woodford elected in the Douglas East by-election in 2010.

It followed a 34 day trial which started in September.

The campaign manager - 57-year-old Charles “Buster” Lewin - was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

He pleaded guilty to three charges relating to the deliberate misuse of the proxy voting system at the start of the trial.

Two other campaign workers who were found guilty of conspiracy to secure proxy votes by the jury - Gail Corrin and Kerry Rothwell - were given 18 month sentences suspended for two years.

Detective Inspector Ian MacMillan explains why it took so long to reach this stage:

(PLAY AUDIO BELOW)