The solicitor for one of the nine men jailed for their part in a child sex ring has suggested BNP leader Nick Griffin had a mole in the jury and has said he will appeal the conviction.
Adil Khan's solicitor Alias Yousaf said in a statement outside Liverpool crown court that a tweet from the BNP head on 3 May, which reported the jury had found seven guilty before they had returned their verdict to court, was of "great concern."
Two-and-a-half days after the jury retired to consider its verdicts - Griffin posted a comment on his @nickgriffinmep account which read: "News flash. Seven of the Muslim paedophile rapists found guilty in Liverpool."
Speaking on Wednesday as his client was sentenced to eight years in jail, Yousaf said: "An inquiry by the judge of the jury revealed that this report was true in that they had found seven defendants guilty.
"It is of great concern that the chairman of the British National Party appeared to have been aware of the verdicts before they were even communicated to the court," Yousaf said.
"We are left with no option but to conclude that the confidentiality of the jury's deliberations must have been breached and we submit the proper inference should be drawn that there must have been improper communication from within the jury room to Nick Griffin and perhaps others.
"In the circumstances, we submit the impartiality and independence of the jury, which is the cornerstone of any fair trial may have been compromised.
"This leaves open the question of improper influence of the jury's deliberations on the verdicts that happened.
"We submit this must be investigated thoroughly to identify the perpetrator and to hold them to account for any interference or tampering with the jury.
"In the circumstances, our client's right to a fair trial may have been compromised."
When the matter was brought in front of the court. Judge Clifton said that "having heard that the jury deny any improper behaviour" he was "satisfied that no juror is at fault in communicating the jury's position, either deliberately or accidentally to anyone else".
42-year-old Adil Khan, 42 was sentenced to eight years for conspiracy and eight, concurrently, for trafficking on Wednesday.
Khan, who is married with one child, fathered the child of a 13-year-old victim who believed she was in love with Khan.
His solicitor also hit out at police for not tackling the far right-wing demonstrators who gathered outside the court.
"They failed to control the racist chanting mob which gathered outside the Crown Court at the start of the trial, which resulted in one barrister being assaulted on the first day of the trial in full view of the national media, CCTV and the police.
"The mob was indiscriminate in its hatred and attacks with missiles on non-whites entering the court building, whether linked to this trial or not.
"Further, the officer failed to mention the pictures and videos taken of defence teams and posted on far-right websites under the title of 'Muslim paedophiles outside Liverpool Crown Court'.
"I was included on those videos and pictures on far-right websites and on YouTube.
"To our knowledge, not a single arrest has been made following the assault on the defence barrister and the disorder surrounding that particular incident."
SEE ALSO
- Nine Child Sex Ring Members Sentenced To Combined 118 Years In Prison
- Ramadhan Foundation Accuses Elders Of Ignoring Sexual Exploitation
- Barnado's Chief: Asian Men 'Over-Represented' In Abuse Cases
- 'They Ripped Away All My Dignity And My Last Bit Of Self-Esteem'
- Nick Griffin Tweet 'Nearly Caused Rochdale Trial To Collapse'