Four Labour activists, including a former parliamentary candidate, have appeared in court for the first time over allegations that a party database was manipulated during the selection of a candidate for the Croydon East constituency in the 2024 general election.
Court Appearance
Joel Bodmer, 40, his wife Shila Bodmer, 41, former Croydon councillor Carole Bonner, 69, and former Southend councillor Gabriel Leroy, 24, appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, May 19. The defendants only spoke to confirm their names, dates of birth, and addresses.
Charges
Joel Bodmer is charged with perverting the course of justice over the alleged alteration of phone records. Shila Bodmer, Leroy, and Bonner are charged with conspiracy to commit offences under the Criminal Law Act and the Computer Misuse Act. The original selection process for Labour's Croydon East candidate was abandoned in November 2023 amid alleged irregularities. It was re-run four months later, with Joel Bodmer not participating in the revised process.
Next Steps
Lead Magistrate Paul Goldspring sent the case to Southwark Crown Court for a pre-trial hearing on June 16. All four have been suspended from the Labour Party pending the outcome of an investigation. Joel Bodmer remains employed as a regional organiser for UNISON, although the union confirmed he is currently on unpaid leave.
Aftermath
Following Joel Bodmer's removal from the selection process, Natasha Irons was chosen as Labour's candidate for Croydon East and won the seat at the 2024 general election. Last month, Ms Irons told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that she was relieved the case is being treated with the seriousness it deserves, while stressing she could not comment on the proceedings.
Frank Ferguson of the Crown Prosecution Service's Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division said: 'Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings. We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have the right to a fair trial.'
