Police are investigating a newspaper advert taken out by the family of a man convicted of murder calling for jurors to come forward.
The advert, which appeared on 30 April in the Lancashire Evening Post, asks members of the jury from the case to be interviewed for a documentary.
It did not state that the documentary was being made by the family of Ian Workman, who was jailed for 17-and-a-half years after being found guilty of murdering his wife, Sue, in 2011, at a farmhouse in Plantation Road, Edgworth.
The advert said: "Were you on jury service in the murder case trial of Ian Workman in November/December 2011 at Preston Crown Court?
"We are producing a documentary of the case and would like your views on new evidence.
"If you were on that jury or know anybody who was please contact us."
It then provided an email and telephone number, before adding: "We are offering a £1000 for any jury members [sic] time or anyone who can put us in contact with a jury member."
The Bolton News reports that Workman’s son, Grant, told the paper he was responsible for it. He reportedly said that the family want to show jurors new evidence and create a film for Youtube. He was said to be confident that no crime has been committed.
He said: "We have had quite a few people contact us but have not set up an interview yet. We are not approaching jurors, we are inviting them to talk to us.”
It comes after an attempt to overturn the conviction by presenting new evidence failed in the Court of Appeal in March 2014, according to the News. The judge reportedly said the new information would not change jurors’ verdict.
The advert is understood to have run in four editions of the Post, between 30 April and 4 May.
A Lancashire Constabulary spokesperson said: “We are aware of this matter and we are now in the process of making inquiries to establish whether any criminal offences may have been committed. This investigation is in its very early stages so we are not in a position to comment any further.”
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