Jurors in child sex case of former peer Nazir Ahmed to return verdicts in New Year

A FORMER peer who is on trial for child sexual abuse will have to wait until the new year to discover his fate after two jurors became unavailable for health reasons.

The jury in the trial of Nazir Ahmed (64) had retired to consider their verdicts on Friday, December 10, and had completed about a day-and-a-half of deliberations, following almost four weeks of evidence, before one of them tested positive for Covid-19.

Another juror suffered an adverse reaction to a Covid vaccine which meant there were only ten available jurors.

The Honourable Mr Justice Lavender, the judge in the case, decided last Thursday (16) to adjourn the case until January 4, when the jury will return to consider their verdicts.

Ahmed, of East Bawtry Road, Rotherham, is on trial accused of four offences dating back to the early 1970s.

He is accused of sexually assaulting a boy between 1971 and 1972 and of attempting to rape a girl between 1973 and 1974.

The former Rotherham councillor denies buggery, indecent assault and two counts of attempted rape.

The former Labour peer’s brothers, Mohammed Farouq (71) and Mohammed Tariq (65), have also been accused of assault but have been deemed not fit to plead on health grounds.

Farouq and Tariq faced a trial of the facts and the jury has been asked to determine whether they did the acts they are accused of.

Tariq, of Gerard Road, Rotherham, faces two counts of indecent assault between 1970 and 1972 and Farouq, of Worrygoose Lane, Rotherham, faces four counts of indecent assault between 1968 and 1972.