CAMPAIGN manager for Kevin Woodford in the 2010 Douglas East by election Charles Buster Lewin has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison.
Lewin, of Ballavitchell Road, Crosby, admitted charges of conspiring dishonestly to secure proxy votes for Mr Woodford, conspiring to steal and conspiring to forge a document at the start of a 34-day trial in September,
His two co-defendants Kerry Rothwell, 26, of Clifton Terrace, Douglas and Gail Corrin, 40, of Cronk-y-Berry Avenue, Douglas, were convicted by jury of conspiring dishonestly to secure proxy votes for Mr Woodford.
Passing sentence on Lewin, Deemster David Turner told him: ‘You had the good sense to plead guilty on the first day and that makes a considerable difference. It was, however, at the last minute. and the expense preparing the trial had been incurred. The plea was not at the first opportunity and it is hard to see any real evidence of contrition.’
Referring to the trial evidence, Deemster Turner added: ‘This was a deliberate, planned attempt to cheat voters of the right to vote for who they wanted.’
He said Mr Lewin had levelled certain criticisms at the electoral system but this was not to his credit.
‘It seems to rather like saying that a householder who does not have a security alarm is inviting burglars,’ he said.
‘You have been portrayed as an unprincipled, aggressive bully but you were not here in court during the trial to defend yourself and the witnesses were not challenged on your behalf.’
Deemster Turner said Lewin had chosen staff to work at the Kevin Woodford election campaign headquarters who he thought would be easily influenced and would not challenge him. Many of the staff were young and Lewin himself had played the leading role in the campaign.
‘There is little doubt you would have been convicted by a jury and if you had, the sentence would have been five years,’ he said.
Rothwell and Corrin each received an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two years.
More details in the Manx Independent.