A woman who worked for a firm representing a defendant’s legal team in a kidnap trial and unsuccessfully attempted to dissuade a key witness from attending court to give evidence has been jailed.

Eylem Kahraman, 31 (30.09.86), of Bursland Road, EN3, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment at Blackfriars Crown Court on Friday, 19 January. She was found guilty of perverting the course of justice at the same court on Friday, 22 December.

On 15 August 2016, a kidnap trial commenced at Wood Green Crown Court. Kahraman was part of the legal team representing the defendant.

The trial commenced in the morning but encountered issues because the key prosecution witness failed to turn up.

Enquiries were made to locate the witness and a time limit was set for the prosecution to locate her and bring her to court.

The officer in the case managed to locate the witness; she said she was too scared to go to the trial, but she refused to elaborate on why.

The witness was then taken to Wood Green Crown Court by a police officer and accompanied by a family member.

While in the witness care room at the court, the witness received a WhatsApp message from Kahraman. The family member alerted the police officer who then viewed several messages on the witness’s phone from Kahraman.