Rolf Harris jury ‘poisoned’ by false claims

The jury trying Rolf Harris was ‘poisoned’ by false allegations against the disgraced entertainer, a court heard.

Harris, 87, is attempting to have his convictions in 2014 quashed at the Court of Appeal, claiming new evidence destroys the case against him.

The cartoonist, singer and TV presenter hired private investigators to track down key witnesses including police officers.

The ‘fresh evidence’ relates to the conflicting testimony of a young girl’s adopted father who said he would not have allowed his daughter to attend a community centre in Portsmouth where Harris was said to have groped her.

Harris’ defence barrister Stephen Vullo QC told the High Court that the prosecution were entitled to use the ‘powerful tool’ by directing the jury to use their common sense in respect to all of the charges.

‘It is a powerful tool from the prosecution, but with that power comes a responsibility.’

He said the prosecution should not bring charges against Harris ‘that are very weak and not investigated properly.’

Mr Vullo explained that when any crucial evidence comes before the High Court with ‘any merit’ then by its definition it means that the trial process was ‘not capable of dealing with it.’

He said that false allegations had been put to the jury, adding: ‘Not intentionally – but that is what has happened.’

‘With power comes responsibility – it is fine if the counts are good and the evidence is solid then the logic is good.

‘The problem comes when there is a drop of poison on the charge and the jury did not know that to be the case.’

Mr Vullo added he ‘does not have to show that all of the counts were unsafe’ in his final submission to the three senior judges before they considered Harris’ right to appeal.

Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC said that even if two convictions are thrown out there is a wealth of evidence to find the other charges against Harris are safe.

The frail star sat in the public gallery at the Court of Appeal on day two of his hearing in a smart blue suit as Mr Vullo said the evidence was ‘overwhelming’ that he was not present when he was said to have abused a seven-year-old girl.

Harris is said to have groped the young autograph hunter when he was making an appearance at the Leigh Park Community Centre at Portsmouth.

His lawyers argue that he was not there, a claim backed up by the victim’s adopted father.

Harris was convicted of 12 indecent assaults at Southwark Crown Court in June 2014 – on the eight-year-old autograph hunter, two teenage girls and abuse against his daughter’s friend over 16 years.

He was then stripped of his hat-trick of honours following those verdicts, including an MBE in 1968, an OBE in 1977 and a CBE in 2006 after he was jailed for five years and nine months.

A few months later he was found guilty he failed in an attempt to bring a challenge to a judge who refused his application for permission to appeal.

In May this year the former Animal Hospital presenter was formally cleared of unconnected historical sex offences which he had denied.

A second jury trying the shamed TV star over claims he molested three young female fans had been discharged after failing to reach verdicts.

He was released from HMP Stafford on 19 May after serving less than half the sentence.

The Australia-born artist insisted his convictions in 2014 left him ‘vulnerable’ to fake claims from liars looking to make a quick buck or a spot in the limelight.

Harris, formerly of Fishery Road, Bray, Maidenhead, Berks, is the highest profile celebrity to be tried under the Met’s Operation Yewtree probe, launched in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

The entertainer now faces an anxious wait after judgement was reserved.

Lord Justice Treacy said: ‘As I indicated yesterday it is not our intention to give a judgement today.’

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