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Tulisa Contostavlos trial collapses over Mazher Mahmood evidence Tulisa Contostavlos trial collapses over Mazher Mahmood's evidence
(35 minutes later)
The trial of the singer and TV entertainer Tulisa Contostavlos over drugs allegations has dramatically collapsed after the judge ruled that the Sun investigative reporter whose evidence was central to the case had seemingly lied on oath.The trial of the singer and TV entertainer Tulisa Contostavlos over drugs allegations has dramatically collapsed after the judge ruled that the Sun investigative reporter whose evidence was central to the case had seemingly lied on oath.
In scathing comments with potentially significant repercussions for Mazher Mahmood, the veteran undercover reporter often known as the "fake sheikh", judge Alistair McCreath said he believed Mahmood had lied in the witness stand. In comments with potentially significant repercussions for Mazher Mahmood, the veteran undercover reporter often known as the "fake sheikh", judge Alistair McCreath said he believed Mahmood had lied in the witness stand.
Mahmood has since been suspended by his newspaper. Mahmood has since been suspended by his newspaper pending an internal investigation.
There were "strong grounds for believing that the underlying purpose of these lies was to conceal the fact that he had been manipulating the evidence in this case" by getting another witness to change his account, McCreath told the jury.There were "strong grounds for believing that the underlying purpose of these lies was to conceal the fact that he had been manipulating the evidence in this case" by getting another witness to change his account, McCreath told the jury.
The judge dismissed the jury at Southwark crown court, telling them the case "cannot go any further". The judge then dismissed the jury at Southwark crown court, telling them the case "cannot go any further" given the circumstances.
Contostavlos grinned broadly in the glass dock as the judge read his ruling. She then hugged relatives and supporters, weeping. Her lawyer embraced the 26-year-old outside the courtroom, telling her: "It's over now." Contostavlos grinned broadly in the glassed dock as the judge read his ruling. She then hugged relatives and supporters, weeping. Her lawyer embraced the 26-year-old outside the courtroom, telling her: "It's over now."
Outside court a nervous-looking Contostavlos condemned "a horrific and disgusting entrapment" by Mahmood and the newspaper. Outside court a nervous-looking Contostavlos condemned "a horrific and disgusting entrapment" by Mahmood and the Sun on Sunday, which published the front-page story in June with the headline, "Tulisa's cocaine deal shame."
She said: "Mahmood has now been exposed by my lawyers of openly lying to the judge and jury. These lies were told to stop crucial evidence going before the jury. … Thankfully, the lies have been uncovered and justice has been done." She said: "Mahmood has now been exposed by my lawyers openly lying to the judge and jury. These lies were told to stop crucial evidence going before the jury."
Contostavlos was on trial for allegedly setting up an £800 cocaine deal between a friend and Mahmood, who made his name with similar sting-type operations on the News of the World before that paper closed. She added: "Thankfully, the lies have been uncovered and justice has been done."
Mahmood posed as a wealthy Bollywood film producer interested in casting the singer and former X Factor judge as the lead in a major film, flying her to Las Vegas and taking her to a luxury London restaurant. Details of the drugs deal and her alleged role in it were then published in the Sun. Contostavlos was on trial for allegedly setting up an £800 cocaine deal between a friend of hers and Mahmood, who made his name with similar sting-type operations on the News of the World before that paper closed. He was allowed to testify behind a screen to make sure the public could not see what he looks like.
Contostavlos insisted throughout that she had been entrapped and only pretended an interest in drugs to play up to a "bad girl" image seemingly sought by the producers. Mahmood posed as a wealthy Bollywood film producer interested in casting the singer and former X Factor judge as the lead in a major film, potentially opposite Leonardo di Caprio, flying her to Las Vegas and taking her to a luxury London restaurant.
Her friend, Mike Coombs, a rapper with the stage name Mike GLC, pleaded guilty to supplying the drugs to Mahmood, but the case against him has also been dropped. Contostavlos insisted throughout that she had been entrapped and only pretended an interest in drugs to play up to a "bad girl" image seemingly sought by the producers for the role.
The apparent lie by Mahmood dates back to a pre-trial hearing in which he denied having seen a police statement made by his driver, Alan Smith, about a conversation Smith had with Contostavlos while dropping her home in which she expressed disapproval of drugs. Her friend, Michael Coombs, a rapper with the stage name Mike GLC, pleaded guilty to supplying the drugs to Mahmood, but the case against him has also been dropped. Even Coombs's plea did not "wipe out the improper conduct which has led me to end this case", the judge said.
But under cross-examination on Thursday Mahmood conceded he had received an emailed copy of the statement. The apparent lie by Mahmood dates back to a pre-trial hearing last month in which he denied having seen a police statement made by his longtime driver, Alan Smith. This concerned a conversation Smith had with Contostavlos while dropping the singer home after a meal with Mahmood and his associates at the Metropolitan hotel in London, during which the singer told Smith that she disapproved of drugs.
Jeremy Dein QC, for the defence, asked if he had "put influence" on Smith to change the statement. The reporter denied this, but later conceded he had discussed his worries about the statement with Smith. At the pre-trial hearing the reporter denied discussing the statement with Smith, particularly whether the driver's account of the anti-drugs comments might undermine the case.
The judge intervened to say this appeared to show Mahmood had lied to manipulate the evidence and that he was considering whether to order a trial, allow bad character evidence against Mahmood, or drop the case entirely. But under cross-examination on Thursday, Mahmood conceded he had received an emailed copy of the statement and had spoken to Smith about it just three days before denying any such actions.
On Monday he announced the latter option, telling the jury that had he known about Mahmood's actions he would have agreed to an earlier defence application to dismiss the case. At this point the judge intervened to say this appeared to show Mahmood had lied to manipulate the evidence and that he was considering whether to order a retrial, allow bad character evidence against Mahmood, or drop the case entirely.
Mahmood, he added, was the "sole progenitor" of the case and had gone to "considerable" lengths to get Contostavlos involved in crime, certainly more than police would have done. On Monday he announced the latter option, telling the jury that had he known about Mahmood's actions he would have agreed to an earlier defence application to abandon the trial.
The judge did not mention whether Mahmood could face a perjury trial, but this is now a possibility. "The court has no option but to say, 'This case must go no further,'' the judge said. The reporter, he added, was the "sole progenitor" of the prosecution as well as being the only investigator and prosecution witness. Mahmood was "someone who appears to have gone to considerable lengths to get Ms Contostavlos to agree to involve herself in criminal conduct, certainly to far greater lengths than would have been regarded as appropriate had he been a police investigator".
The prosecution barrister, Tim Cray, said the crown had no reason to counter the accusation that Mahmood lied and did not oppose the judge's decision.
Mahmood has achieved some fame during 25 years as an undercover reporter specialising in such celebrity-based sting operations, albeit a paradoxical fame given the huge lengths to which he goes to avoid being photographed.
Often posing as a rich Arabic businessman or royal, he claims to have conducted stories which saw 100 people jailed, including paedophiles and arms dealers. He has also duped celebrities such as the Countess of Wessex and Sven-Göran Eriksson into revealing secrets.
During long pre-trial argument, Jeremy Dein QC, for the defence, accused Mahmood of active duplicity in some stories. To support this he called a former Mahmood associate, Florim Gashi, who told the court he helped the reporter "make up stories for his newspaper".
During his evidence Mahmood vehemently denied any duplicity in his work, saying that had Contostavlos showed no interest in a drugs deal his team would have immediately given up.