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London: Laura
Johnson, the daughter of a British millionaire, was Thursday
convicted of having participated in an "orgy of looting" during
last year's London riots. She now faces a long jail term.
The 20-year-old high flying university student, from Orpington,
Kent, had claimed having been forced to drive a drug dealer and
his friends around during the mass disturbances in London.
The jury, after seeing photos taken by witnesses of her laughing
and joking at the wheel of her car, observed that she was actually
a willing participant in the crime spree, the Daily Telegraph
reported.
A jury found her guilty of burglary from a Comet Store in
Greenwich, south east London Aug 9 during the riots.
It was there at around 2 a.m. that she was arrested at the wheel
of her Smart Car with over 5,000 pounds (about $7,930) worth of
electrical goods in the back.
The jury, who deliberated for nine hours, however found her not
guilty of burglary at a Curry's store in Charlton, south east
London.
Judge Patricia Lees said: "You have been convicted of serious
offences and those offences are aggravated by the fact that they
were committed within the time-frame of the civil unrest last
summer in London.
"As far as this spree of burglaries and handling goods that you
both took a willing part in will attract most certainly in my mind
attract the likelihood of a custodial sentence."
She had told the court that she was ordered to act as his driver
Aug 8 and was too frightened to flee.
Johnson will be sentenced May 3.
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