A former classroom assistant took a bribe while on the jury in a five-month money laundering and drug trafficking trial.

Catherine Leahy, 62, of Springboig, Glasgow, has been jailed after being found guilty of accepting an "advantage" to perform her task as a juror "improperly."

She was the spokeswoman on the jury at the High Court in Glasgow which acquitted alleged drug dealer Graham Clarke and others in April 2016.

The Crown may now seek a retrial of that case.

On Tuesday, judge Lord Turnbull told Leahy at the High Court: "You took advantage of your public responsibility of jury service and you took a bribe.

"This is conduct which strikes at the heart of the justice system. It is matched in its gravity by its rareness.

"It is obvious that for such a serious offence only a custodial sentence can be imposed."

Prosecutor Iain McSporran QC said the Crown's position is that four payments to Leahy's Santander account amounting to £2830 between April 19 and June 2, 2016, were bribe money.

Leahy denied that she had been bribed, telling the court that the money came from a cheque for £7446.77 she received from British Shipbuilders and menage money.

However after deliberating for three hours the jury found her guilty by majority.

The court heard that the day after the verdict in the Clarke trial the procurator fiscal's office received a tip-off that members of the jury may have been bribed.

A probe into all the jurors' finances was ordered at the highest level after suspicion fell on Leahy, with her Glasgow home bugged from September 19 to 30, 2016.

The probe into Leahy's finances was led by detective inspector Graeme Everest of the organised crime and counter terrorism financial investigations unit.

High level discussions, including a meeting between the Lord Advocate and Lord President, led to the decision to bug the house Leahy shared with her 22-year-old son Joseph.

He was originally on trial with his mother but the charges against him were dropped.

A total of 31 conversations between Leahy and her son were recorded by the hidden bug in their home.

At one point Mr Leahy was heard to say: "Mum it wasn't just you that got bribed so that now when they come to you, you're a step ahead."

His mother then said: "There is nothing that can link you with them."

Leahy was also heard saying that she hoped her son's car was not bugged, adding: "That night I went down there nobody could have seen me."

She served as a juror in the trial of Graham Clarke, his wife Lindsay and others, which ran from November 2, 2015, to April 14, 2016.

All the charges against Mr Clarke were not proven but his wife was convicted of mortgage fraud. One juror was dismissed during the trial.

Leahy denied acting improperly as as a juror and taking "a bung" and claimed that when she heard rumours of jury nobbling she treated it as a joke.

The court heard that Leahy did not have a lot of money and had to work to a strict budget.

At the time of the Clarke trial she had her salary as a classroom assistant and a widow's pension.

As she was taken into custody Leahy blew a kiss to her son Joseph, who was sitting in the public benches.

Lord Turnbull deferred sentence until next month for background reports.

The judge told the jury: "This has been a most unusual case. I'm not personally aware of a previous case of a juror taking a bribe in the course of a trial."