Fishing expedition: Balban’s latest request dismissed by Chief Justice

The former Natwest manager Gillian Balban  - who is currently serving a seven and a half year sentence for fraud has seen her latest request to the court denied.

Balban’s lawyer had asked the Supreme Court to order a police investigation into a juror who was part of the nine who had found her guilty of covering up a £2 million hole in the bank’s cash reserves.

Last month we reported that 53 year old Balban was appealing her 2024 conviction for fraud on six grounds.

These highlighted alleged issues such as jury intimidation and a complex prosecution case.

She also accused the foreman of the jury of bias, citing a connection between him and a witness in the trial.

However, in the latest judgement, Chief Justice Anthony Dudley said the connection was ‘so distant and inconsequential’ it could ‘not give rise to the real possibility of bias’.

Mr Justice Dudley said it was ‘inappropriate’ to ask police to investigate a juror on the basis of ‘unsupported or unexplained allegations’, therefore dismissing the request.

He said Balban was in effect asking the RGP to conduct a ‘fishing expedition’ in the hope of uncovering some material that will assist her.

Her wider appeal is still set to be heard this autumn.