Rooney TV photo claim of EncroChat trial prosecutors

PICTURES including a snap of Wayne Rooney and a ‘date night’ link men accused of gun and drug offences to EncroChat handles – proving they are ‘really serious criminals’ – a jury has been told.

- ANDREW BARDSLEY

The men have gone on trial as prosecutors accused them of being involved in drug dealing on an ‘industrial scale’ and of having involvement with firearms.

Jamie Rothwell, 37; James Close, 40; Craig Makinson, 49; Callum Morris, 32 and Terrence McDonagh, 33, deny all the charges.

Jurors at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court were told that the defendants, except Mr McDonagh, allegedly used the EncroChat communications network.

Jaime Hamilton KC claimed the network was the ‘preserve of really serious criminals’ and that it afforded them a ‘technological cloak of invisibility’. It allowed communications to be ‘highly encrypted’ and police were unable to ‘crack’ the devices, he said.

Mr Hamilton said the system was ‘undone’ after French law enforcement sent an update to EncroChat users which allowed police to gain access to the messages. Prosecutors allege Mr Rothwell, Mr Close, Mr Makinson and Mr Morris all operated on the network using different ‘handles’, or usernames.