A FATHER has been found guilty of attempting to bribe a witness during a police investigation into the murder of a North-East market trader.

Thomas Harrison, 62, got an associate to threaten witness Rowena Frost and handed her money so she would change her evidence against his son, Lee, who was accused of killing Kalvant Singh.

Mr Singh, 41, died in August 2001 when he was thrown from a bedroom window of a brothel in Errol Street, Middlesbrough.

Lee Harrison pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was jailed for nine years last month, but newspapers have only been able to report it for the first time today because of reporting restrictions due to his father's trial.

The 38-year-old, of Ormesby Bank, Middlesbrough, fled to Jamaica after appearing in court in August 2001 to deny the killing, but he was extradited back to Britain by police to face charges.

Harrison senior had denied conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, but a jury found him guilty at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday.

His tenant, John Reginald Atkinson, 56, also of Orchard Way, Middlesbrough, had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy.

They will both be sentenced at Teesside Crown Court in three weeks.

The court heard Thomas Harrison was caught on a security camera handing cash to a witness in the trial and an associate of his had threatened the same woman to change her statement to police.

Thomas Petch, 23, of east Cleveland, and George Coleman, 41, of Middlesbrough, were jailed for life in 2002 after being found guilty of Mr Singh's murder.

Petch was granted leave to appeal against his murder conviction last month.

Jonathan Crossling, of Middlesbrough, was jailed for 18 years for manslaughter but his term was reduced to 14 years on appeal.

Cleveland Police said: "This trial brings to a close what has been one of the most challenging and protracted inquiries we have ever undertaken."