Election worker 'trusted manager'

A door-knocker for the Kevin Woodford campaign team put her signature on proxy forms as she trusted the manager, an election fraud trial has been told.

Forty year-old Gail Corrin from Douglas was a campaign team volunteer between March and May 2010 in the run up to the Douglas East by-election.

In court, she said she trusted her boss Charles ‘Buster’ Lewin – who has since admitted three counts of election fraud.

She denies conspiracy to affect legal purposes by improper means.

In court, Mrs Corrin said: ‘I didn't know I was doing anything wrong- I trusted Buster Lewin, I had no reason not to.’

Her signature appeared on several proxy application forms in the by-election.

When asked by prosecution QC Cairns Nelson whether she thought it was appropriate to sign a government form to say she knew someone when she did not, Mrs Corrin replied that at the time she did not understand that principle.

The court heard Mrs Corrin had known Lewin for several years before the election campaign and during part of 2009 was involved in a sexual relationship – something she did not reveal to police in her statement.

The prosecution asked Mrs Corrin what she had been trying to hide.

‘If I had been asked directly about the relationship with Buster I would have said, but it was well and truly over by then,’ she said.

Mrs Corrin told the trial she had accompanied Lewin on some evenings during the campaign because he had said having a woman with him would help put female voters at ease.

She said he had always been clear with voters about who he was representing and what a proxy vote was.

And she insisted said none of the voters she had canvassed with Lewin had ever signed a proxy application without knowing what they were doing.

The trial continues.