 It emerged after the trial that he had appeared in the witness box at the Old Bailey as a Police Informer giving evidence for the prosecution against 3 Mafia drug smugglers who were members of a gang of which he was part to gain immunity from prosecution.McNeill who had played a big role in the drug smuggling got off without charge in return for giving evidence.The key question is whether the jury in the Cannon trial would have thought differently of Lawson's evidence if they had known of his involvement in the previous trial?