Usher 'fell for defendant's charms'

Usher 'fell for defendant's charms'

A court usher wept as she told the Old Bailey she had been taken in by the charms of a man on trial in her court.

Samantha Dimon, 34, who is accused of trying to influence jurors, admitted she had been "an idiot".

Miss Dimon, from Horsham, West Sussex, worked as an usher at Kingston Crown Court.

She told the court she was shocked when Mohammed Patel had asked her to try and nobble the jury in his trial in October 2000.

Felt sorry for him

Miss Dimon, of Goose Garden Close, is charged with misconduct and perverting the course of justice.

She said Patel had persuaded her to visit him in Wandsworth Prison after his bail was rescinded when the jury retired to consider its verdict.

The Old Bailey heard that she had opened her heart to Patel about her abusive partner and he had comforted her.

Miss Dimon said that when she went to visit him it had been to tell him their friendship could not continue as she feared losing her job.

"I suppose I felt sorry for him. I got taken in by his charm. I got my head turned," Miss Dimon said.

Lost her job

"He asked me to talk to the jurors - I can only assume to try to get him off. I said 'absolutely no way'.

"It was friendship. It was never any more than that.

"I thought he was being just friendly but now, looking back, I can only assume he saw someone who was vulnerable and he tried to use me."

Miss Dimon said she had been at a low ebb at the time and had never tried to jeopardise the trial.

She added since the events she had lost her job and her home and was now living with her mother and had become depressed.

Miss Dimon denies perverting the course of justice and four counts of misconduct in public office.