A FEMALE juror who took £3,000 in bribes during a Glasgow drug-dealing trial has been jailed for six years.

Catherine Leahy, 62, served on a jury in a drug trafficking and money laundering trial which returned a not proven verdict in April 2016 following three days of deliberation.

READ MORE: Juror Catherine Leahy took bribe during Glasgow drug-dealing trial

A police investigation was instructed after information was passed to Crown Office staff regarding an alleged bribe to a juror.

Investigations resulted in suspicion falling on Leahy. Police then used covert audio surveillance to capture recordings of her talking with a family member at her Glasgow home about the allegations against her.

Thirty-one conversations between Leahy and her son were recorded by the hidden bug in their home.

At one point Mr Leahy is heard to say: “Mum it wasn't just you that got bribed so that now when they come to you, you're a step ahead.”

His mother then said: “There is nothing that can link you with them.”

READ MORE: Juror Catherine Leahy took bribe during Glasgow drug-dealing trial

At the High Court in Glasgow last month, Leahy was found guilty of agreeing to receive money for not properly carrying out her role as a juror.

A trial heard that Leahy paid nearly £3,000 in four instalments into her bank account between April and June 2016. Prosecutors linked the bank payments to the charge against Leahy.

Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework, Liam Murphy, said: “The role of the jury sits at the heart of our criminal justice system and is fundamental to our rule of law. This is the first prosecution of its kind in Scotland which shows that cases of jury interference are exceptionally rare.

READ MORE: Juror Catherine Leahy took bribe during Glasgow drug-dealing trial

“Leahy took advantage of a position of public responsibility for financial gain without any regard to the consequences.

“The prosecution against Leahy was built on a thorough and complex investigation by Police Scotland using covert surveillance to uncover the true nature of the offence.”

Prosecutors are now giving further consideration to the circumstances of the original trial in which Leahy served as a juror.

The Crown can ask the court for authority to bring a fresh prosecution in cases where a person was previously acquitted in certain circumstances, including when an offence against the course of justice in the original trial is considered to have been committed.