And of course Monday

Is the day that Arry's injunction on mentioning his court date expires and the case begins

Might he change his plea ? Might he be exonerated and leave the court with his escutcheon unbesmirched ? Or might Arry be hoping Sandra has packed the novelty soap on a rope ?

Court will rise

Court number eight -Southwark Crown Court

His Honour Judge Anthony James Leonard QC presiding

55 Years old, lists his interests as opera and wine - bit of a reputation for imposing stiff sentences for financial chicanery - the FSAs favorite judge I'm told

Trrffic

The Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp, appeared in the dock today to face trial for tax evasion. Redknapp denies two counts of cheating the public revenue when he was manager of Portsmouth.

He appeared behind bullet-proof glass at Southwark crown court to face charges alongside the former Pompey chairman Milan Mandaric. A host of relatives, including Redknapp's former footballer son Jamie, looked on from the public gallery as proceedings began.

Jury selection will take place this morning before John Black QC opens the prosecution case against the pair.

The first charge alleges that, between 1 April 2002 and 28 November 2007, Mandaric paid £93,100 into a bank account held by Redknapp in Monaco, to avoid paying income tax and National Insurance.

The second charge for the same offence relates to a sum of £96,300 allegedly paid by Mandaric to the same account between 1 May 2004 and 28 November 2007. Mandaric is currently chairman of Sheffield Wednesday, having previously worked at Leicester City.

Redknapp is represented by John Kelsey-Fry QC, while Lord Ken Macdonald QC is counsel for Mandaric. The trial is due to last two weeks.

Judge Anthony Leonard told jurors to "leave prejudice or favour behind" as a panel of eight men and four women were sworn in. "The defendants are two well-known personalities within the world of football," he said.

He said football "almost overwhelms other aspects in life" as he ordered jurors to focus solely on the charges. "It can prejudice if you hold such allegiances or prejudices towards clubs that the defendants were or are presently involved with."

Jurors were also told to inform the judge if they had listened to an episode of Talksport radio on November 17 last year. "This case will attract publicity," Mr Leonard added. "My advice is that you must not read or listen to these reports."

Harry Redknapp 'avoided tax on bungs'

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp received $295,000 which he had no intention of declaring for tax purposes, a court has heard.

Mr Redknapp was paid the "bungs or offshore bonuses" by former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric while he was manager at the club, it was claimed.

Jurors were told secret payments were made to Mr Redknapp's Monaco bank account in the name of his dog.

Mr Mandaric and Mr Redknapp deny charges of cheating the public revenue.

John Black QC opened the prosecution's case at Southwark Crown Court by telling jurors "both parties must have known" they were avoiding taxes.
"These payments were a bung or offshore bonus that the parties had absolutely no intention of paying taxes for," he said.

Jurors were told when Mr Redknapp was director of football at Portsmouth his contract entitled him to 10% of net profit from transfers.

When he moved to the manager's job in March 2002, his profits from transfers reduced to 5%, the prosecution said.

When striker Peter Crouch, who was bought for £1.25m, was sold for £4.5m, Mr Redknapp's share was £115,473 - but that would have been double had his contract not changed.

The prosecution allege Mr Redknapp instead received a secret payment from Mr Mandaric into an account in Monaco in the name of "Rosie 47" - a combination of his pet dog's name and his year of birth - the prosecution said.

It was heard that in 2002 Mr Mandaric paid $145,000 into this account and on 13 January 2003, following a fax request from Mr Redknapp, $100,000 moved from "Rosie 47" to a company in Miami called First Star International.

The prosecution claim this firm was a personal account for Mr Mandaric and on 21 April 2004 Mr Mandaric wrote a cheque from it to Mr Redknapp for $150,000.

Early in 2008 Mr Redknapp wrote to the Monaco bank and requested the remaining $207,000 to be transferred to his London HSBC account, the court heard.
Heart surgery

The jury was told that Mr Redknapp never mentioned the Monaco account as he was investigated by HM Revenue and Customs officials over his transfer dealings at West Ham United.

The probe, between January 2004 and October 2006, "was originally prompted by concerns over a £300,000 payment... regarding profit made in a player transfer, namely Rio Ferdinand," Mr Black said.

The Monaco bank account eventually came to light during an inquiry into illicit payments in football, led by Lord Stevens, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, jurors heard.
Both men deny two counts of cheating the public revenue.

The first of the two charges alleges that, between 1 April 2002 and 28 November 2007, Mr Mandaric paid $145,000 (£93,100) into a bank account held by Mr Redknapp in Monaco, to avoid paying income tax and National Insurance.

The second charge for the same offence relates to a sum of $150,000 (£96,300) allegedly paid by Mr Mandaric to the same account between 1 May 2004 and 28 November 2007.

Mr Redknapp, 64, of Poole, Dorset, who underwent minor heart surgery last year to unblock his arteries, is the most successful English manager in the modern game, having led Portsmouth to FA Cup success and Spurs to last season's Uefa Champions League quarter-finals.

Serbian-born Mr Mandaric, 73, of Oadby, Leicestershire, is now chairman of Sheffield Wednesday, having previously worked at Leicester City.

The trial continues.

Analysis
James Pearce BBC Sports News Correspondent

As Harry Redknapp left Southwark Crown Court he was surrounded by photographers and had to jostle his way through the crowd to reach his waiting car.

The Tottenham manager is used to appearing in public, but not in a situation like this.

For the next two weeks he is having to spend more time in the dock than the managerial dugout.

If the queue of journalists and football fans that snaked around the corridor outside the court room this morning was anything to go by, then this is a trial that is going to receive a great deal of attention

Harry is innocent

damm why do people have to get old. i forgot how nice her pins are lol

Day 2 in the Big Brother House . . . . .

'Harry Redknapp 'kept offshore account secret'


Harry Redknapp did not tell his accountant or bank about an offshore account for years, jurors have heard.

He is accused of receiving secret payments from former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric, 73, while he was manager at the south coast club.

The Tottenham boss only revealed he had the Monaco-based account after being asked by a Premier League inquiry, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Mr Mandaric and Mr Redknapp, 64, deny charges of cheating the public revenue.

Previously jurors heard how Mr Redknapp received a percentage of net profit from transfers during his time at Portsmouth.

The prosecution also read out transcripts of conversations Mr Mandaric and Mr Redknapp had with a News of the World reporter in which they denied the manager was paid "bungs".
'Complete ignorance'

On the second day of the trial, the jury heard Mr Redknapp kept his Monaco account a secret from his accountant for four-and-a-half years and from his bank relations manager for five years and eight months.

The court heard Mr Redknapp had told the Premier League's Quest inquiry into player transfers that he had an accountant who invested the money in his Monaco account for him.
The prosecution said Quest later received a letter from Mr Mandaric saying he had opened the Monaco account for Mr Redknapp and invested money there for him.

John Black QC, for the prosecution, said Mr Redknapp "was feigning almost complete ignorance" about the existence of the account while the Quest inquiry took place in 2006.

The first mention of it came when Mr Mandaric was asked by the Quest inquiry to provide details of payments to Mr Redknapp, Mr Black said.

He asked the court whether Mr Redknapp could have been unaware of the account even though he had flown to Monaco two years earlier to set it up in the name of his dog, Rosie.

He said: "The existence of the bank account was not registered to Revenue and Customs for a period of six years, two months... after Mr Redknapp was first arrested and questioned in the course of this investigation."

Excerpts of letters were read to the court about the origins of the account. One, the prosecution said, was sent from Mr Redknapp's accountant to his bank relations manager asking how the Monaco account could have been set up without Mr Redknapp's knowledge.
'You owe me'

The jury was also read transcripts from two taped interviews by the News of the World in which Mr Mandaric said the Monaco account was "nothing to do with bonuses" and "not money from football".

The court heard Mr Redknapp told the reporter that money - a bonus paid to him for selling striker Peter Crouch - had been paid into an offshore account.

This was because Mr Mandaric did not have a UK bank account, so had to pay from a US account into the account opened for him in Monaco.

Mr Redknapp is alleged to have said to the reporter: "I was due 10%. They paid me 5%. I said to Mandaric, you owe me 10%, not 5%. Mandaric said don't worry, I'll sort it."

When the reporter asked Mr Redknapp if it was a bung, Mr Redknapp said: "Don't say bung. How can it be a bung when it was paid by the chairman?"

The prosecution said that during a police interview, Mr Redknapp said Mr Mandaric had told him that the Monaco investment had been "wiped out".

Mr Redknapp told police: "I never mentioned it again. I just thought, that's history. He's had me. Maybe he never put the money in. I don't know."

The court heard that Mr Redknapp told police Mr Mandaric had control over the account. He said Mr Mandaric "wasn't a man to argue with" and that he "never had a clue" how much money went in the account.

Jurors heard that Mr Mandaric told police that the money in the Monaco account was a loan and that he had asked Mr Redknapp to repay it.
'Transparent device'

But Mr Redknapp told police it was not a loan, the jury heard. He also told officers that he did not tell his accountant about the account because he thought there was no money in it.

Mr Black told the jury that Mr Mandaric's lawyer sent a letter to Mr Redknapp's solicitors a month after giving a "no comment" interview to police on 8 June 2009.

The letter said: "Mr Mandaric requests that 145,000 US dollars is repaid by Harry as soon as he is able to arrange it, to Mr Mandaric's following account."

Mr Black said: "The Crown suggest this could be a transparent device by Mr Mandaric to attempt to create an impression that the money paid by Mr Mandaric into the Rosie 47 account had only ever been advanced by way of a loan."

On Monday, the prosecution told the court Mr Redknapp received $295,000 (about £189,000) which he had no intention of declaring for tax purposes.

He was paid the "bungs or offshore bonuses" by Mr Mandaric, it was claimed.

The trial continues on Wednesday.


Analysis
James Pearce BBC Sports News Correspondent

The second day of the trial, and the mood outside the courtroom, was considerably calmer. By now journalists all had their 'season tickets' - their passes to every day of the trial.

That, though, didn't lessen the scramble for seats once the narrow door to Court 6 was opened. The prime locations closest to the judge were filled in seconds. The watching Harry Redknapp might have been surprised by the turn of foot displayed by journalists whom he normally sees sitting calmly in front of him at Tottenham press conferences.

Unspeakably difficult to secure convictions in fraud and tax evasion cases because the detail of the offences isunspent and dull

Good to see Black getting a bit of spark into his game but no doubt Arry and Mandaric's men scribbling furiously - interesting to see that (apparently ) Arry and the Serb are offering different defences.

Looking good so far though from
The taxpayers point of view - mind you there is always the Ken Dodd Defence

Day 3 in the Big Brother House . . . . .


Harry Redknapp 'scoffed at £30,000 tax saving'

Harry Redknapp told a reporter he had no need to try to save £30,000 by dodging tax, a court has heard.

The jury was played a taped interview between journalist Rob Beasley and former Portsmouth manager Mr Redknapp.

He scoffed at the idea that he tried to save income tax by having bungs paid by Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric into an offshore account, jurors were told.

Mr Redknapp and Mr Mandaric both deny charges of cheating the public revenue during their time at Portsmouth.

Jurors heard the interview by News of the World reporter Mr Beasley was recorded the day before Mr Redknapp led Tottenham into the League Cup final against Manchester United in 2009.

Mr Redknapp said: "Do me a favour. I tried to nick £30,000 to save on income tax?
'Shouting over phone'

"Do I need that Rob?"

Mr Redknapp called Mr Mandaric as he attempted to convince the reporter "everything I do, I do above board", jurors head.

In the recording played to Southwark Crown Court, Mr Redknapp, 64, was heard talking to Mr Mandaric, with Mr Beasley listening on another line.

The manager is heard saying: "I spoke to Rob Beasley earlier...you know you paid the income, you paid the tax on that money in America right, of course you did, yeah."
Redknapp was heard shouting over the phone earlier at Mr Beasley as he denied Mr Mandaric's explanation that the deposits in his Monaco bank account were connected with dealings outside football.

Mr Redknapp said: "You're going to write what you want to write...I know what's going to happen Rob and you're all barking up the wrong tree."

He then threatened to sue the News of the World if it said the tax had not been declared, jurors were told.

Mr Beasley, appearing in the witness box, said he did not tell Mr Redknapp the conversation was recorded.

The journalist, who worked as a senior sports writer at the paper between 1994 and 2009, said he wanted to make sure that "I feel 100% accurate".

Serbian-born Milan Mandaric is now chairman of Sheffield Wednesday

'Treble strong'

Mr Beasley said later: "I would be more afraid of the News of the World than the police."

The journalist told jurors he used "flattery, friendship... and a little bit of kidology" in talking to Mr Redknapp and Mr Mandaric before his story went to print.

Mr Beasley said he paid a source who was "absolutely not" a member of City of London Police or HM Revenue and Customs.

Mr Beasley said he used "flattery" in his dealings with Mr Redknapp and Mr Mandaric

Mr Beasley said he paid a source who was "absolutely not" a member of City of London Police or HM Revenue and Customs.

In one of the recorded conversations, Mr Redknapp said "one day Rob, I'd like to know who done it" and "make sure I reward you...treble strong".
Southwark Crown Court previously heard Mr Redknapp opened a Monaco bank account in the name of "Rosie 47" - a combination of his pet dog's name and the year of his birth - which he allegedly kept secret from his accountant for four-and-a-half years.

The third day of the hearing began with the prosecution claiming that statements given by Harry Redknapp and Milan Mandaric, 73, about the account were "contradictory" and "inconsistent".

It is alleged that Mr Redknapp, who lives in Poole, Dorset, received $295,000 (about £189,000) which he had no intention of declaring for tax purposes.

Mr Redknapp and Mr Mandaric each deny two charges of cheating the public revenue.

The first of the two charges alleges that, between 1 April 2002 and 28 November 2007, Mr Mandaric paid $145,000 (£93,100) into a bank account held by Mr Redknapp in Monaco, to avoid paying income tax and National Insurance.

The second charge for the same offence relates to a sum of $150,000 (£96,300) allegedly paid by Mr Mandaric to the same account between 1 May 2004 and 28 November 2007.

The trial continues.

I see Arry may be taking the Ken Dodd Defence

How taxiswervicious !

"Do you think me and Mr Mandaric are going to have completely different stories? Are we that stupid?"

Arry you have spent all week trying to convince the jury that you are exactly that stupid

lol nic

What he said to the Police stacks up. What he told the Tax Office stacks up. His and Mandaric's story stacks up. He has done nothing strange in terms of his account....he didnt keep it a secret. The money that went in was not the same amount as the difference in contract.

How the f#ck did this get to court?

If it all stacked up Lought why was no tax paid on the money in the Monaco bank account, as the prosecution says should have been ?

Mandaric says it was an investment"fund " he had set up for Arry and nothing to do with his job at PFC - well you would wouldn't you - happens to me all the time

Arry says that although he set up the account he had no idea what was going on in it - in fact he never even bothered to tell his accountant about it - in spite of him telling us that his accountant virtually ran his life

I'm like myself with my Monaco accounts - slippery little buggers

I see a hefty fine coming, cant see him going to clink.

All down the discretion of the Judge. If Arry and Mandaric is found guilty then the sentence guidelines are very wide Dave. It is to do with the amount of tax fiddled, the length it has gone on, rto what lengths the crime was concealed, and clearly that no guilty plea was ever offered. Either way if guilty he will get a hefty fine. I think it would be a bold Judge who let Arry and Mandaric walk away with a fine and a suspended sentence.

The jury go out on Tuesday - I reckon a swift decision but whether it will be guilty or not guilty I would not know where to put my money (so to speak)

If you are remotely interested - and it ain't exactly a fun read - the relevant document that Judges work from is this;

http://sentencingcouncil.judiciary.gov.uk/docs/web_sentencing_for_fraud_statutory_offences.pdf

The relevant page on custodial sentences is 20