Ghislaine Maxwell juror says ‘brutal’ trial deliberations left them in tears while socialite was ‘like a stone’
Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell is expected to file a request for a retrial after a juror revealed following her conviction that he was a victim of sexual abuse.
The disgraced British socialite’s legal team was reportedly set to file court papers requesting a fresh trial after she was convicted in December on five counts of aiding Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse girls as young as 14.
Following the trial, juror Scotty David told The Independent that he had been a victim of childhood sexual abuse, and that he had told fellow jurors about his experience.
Maxwell’s lawyers say that he failed to give the court that information when he filled out a juror questionnaire before being picked to serve on the panel.
A second juror also came forward to tell The New York Times that they had also been sexually abused as a child.
Maxwell’s legal team also believe they found a third juror in the trial who did not reveal their own abuse history on their juror questionnaire, according to The Mail on Sunday.
Meanwhile, two acquaintances told an ITV documentary has suggested that Prince Andrew and Maxwell may have been more than just friends.
Former Buckingham Palace royal protection officer Paul Page and Euan Rellie, who knew Maxwell at university, both suggested the pair’s relationship was closer than previously thought.
“From the way she was allowed to enter and exit the palace at will, we realised... suspected, that she may have had an intimate relationship with Prince Andrew,” Mr Page said. He added that one colleague remembered Maxwell coming to the palace four times in a single day.
Mr Rellie told the broadcaster: “I got the sense that Prince Andrew and Ghislaine had probably been girlfriend and boyfriend in the past. They had an easy warmth around each other.”
Prince Andrew is facing a sexual assault civil suit in New York from Virginia Giuffre and has strongly denied all allegations against him.
Representatives for Prince Andrew had no comment when asked by The Independent about the ITV documentary claims.
