A PAIR of criminals have been convicted of trying to stop a grieving mother from giving evidence at her late son’s inquest.

Daniel Valentine swore aloud when jurors yesterday found him and co-defendant Matthew East guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

A jury of three men and nine women also convicted Valentine of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence.

Sitting at Oxford Crown Court, Judge Ian Pringle QC warned the pair they could be jailed when they are sentenced on Thursday, adding: “The custodial threshold has clearly been passed but I want to consider all options available.”

During the trial, jurors were told Jake Foxall killed himself while on remand at HMP Glen Parva, in Leicestershire, in November 2015.

He had admitted carrying out a robbery with Valentine and was due to give evidence against his co-accused at trial.

Valentine called East while behind bars for the robbery, asking him to ‘make sure’ Foxall’s mother Mary Walters did not give evidence at the upcoming inquest, prosecutor Naomi Perry said.

Valentine, of HMP Lowdham Grange, Nottinghamshire, and East, of The Crescent, Didcot, admitted the offences between August 22 and Aust 29 last year.