Convicted killer’s ‘jury tampering’ plot to derail £45m drug smuggling trial from prison cell
From prison cell, ex-killer plots to sabotage £45m drug trial via jury manipulation
William Todd, a man with a history of prison escapes, devised a scheme to disrupt a high-profile £45m drug trafficking case while incarcerated. Using a secret mobile phone under the name Ari Gold, he orchestrated efforts to undermine the trial by falsely alleging jurors had been bribed.
Todd, 61, was sentenced to seven years in prison for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. He had previously received two life terms in 2001 for attempting to murder his former partner Arthur de Sousa and killing his bodyguard in Pangbourne, Berkshire. His escape from Winchester prison involved sawing through cell bars and climbing a 30-foot wall with a homemade grappling hook and rope ladder, though he was recaptured within days.
During his time at Coldingley prison, Todd targeted a gang accused of smuggling 448kg of MDMA to Australia. The group had used an industrial digger to transport the drugs, and Todd aimed to ensure their convictions were overturned. The scheme relied on encrypted communications, including a picture of a pet French Bulldog Bob, whose collar bore a dog tag with a partner’s phone number.
Southwark Crown Court revealed Todd coordinated the plot through a 46-year-old man, kept anonymous for legal reasons, who recorded jurors’ names during their swearing-in. In June 2022, false claims were sent to Kingston Crown Court and police, accusing jurors of accepting £20,000 to acquit the defendants. Despite the allegations, the trial proceeded after the conspiracy was exposed as a dishonest attempt to derail proceedings.
“There was a real risk of serious consequences for innocent parties,” said prosecutor Charlotte Hole. “Had this been believed, jurors could have been in contempt of court or worse.”
The plan involved creating a forged passport in the name of Ioana Andrei and paying a Romanian woman 2,000 euros to sign a deposition. A corrupt solicitor in Bucharest also participated, forwarding the documents to the defense team. When Brown and Baldauf were convicted of drug trafficking, Sheree Avard, 41, from Woking, Surrey, was recruited to further the scheme by impersonating a juror’s girlfriend.
Todd admitted to conspiring with Avard and the anonymous man between March and November 2022. He was jailed for three years and four months, while Avard received 12 months. Judge Gregory Perrins called the plot a “professional, persistent, and sophisticated attempt to undermine justice,” emphasizing Todd’s role in directing the conspiracy from his cell.
Steve Ahmet, senior investigator at the National Crime Agency’s Anti-Corruption Unit, noted: “This case shows the lengths criminals will go to cheat justice, highlighting their threat to society’s core institutions.” The efforts to quash convictions ultimately failed, securing the trial’s integrity against Todd’s calculated interference.
