A former London Labour activist has admitted computer misuse over allegations that a party database was manipulated to increase a candidate's chance of selection at the 2024 general election.
Court Appearance
Gabriel Leroy, 24, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a Computer Misuse Act offence. The 24-year-old, from Southwark, was charged under Section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
Other Defendants Plead Not Guilty
Joel Bodmer, 40, Shila Bodmer, 41, and Carole Bonner, 70, all from Croydon, appeared at the same court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit a computer misuse act offence. Joel Bodmer also denied acts intended to pervert the course of public justice.
It is alleged he provided a PDF document and a Microsoft Excel file purporting to be his complete telephone records from which a telephone call to the Labour Party Support Team made on November 3, 2023 had been deleted.
Legal Proceedings
The defendants were told their bail would continue and the next hearing will be on February 12 2027. A trial date was set for February 5 2029.
The Standard previously reported the charges relate to the selection process for a candidate for Croydon East at the 2024 general election. It was claimed that phone numbers and email addresses on a list of Labour Party members had been changed to stop some prospective candidates being able to contact them to gather support.
Joel Bodmer ran as a potential candidate but later withdrew from the race. All four of those accused have been suspended from the Labour Party while legal proceedings are ongoing.
