Fraud Trial Scuttled By Ebay Employee

By Mike Sachoff - Fri, 10/26/2007 - 9:37am.

A UK man on trial for defrauding eBay users received a break yesterday when an employee for eBay left the country before offering key testimony.

eBay employee Kevin Morgan arrived in Exeter on Sunday, but left on Wednesday before taking the stand because he was frustrated with the wait.

"The trial has effectively been torpedoed by his leaving the country," prosecutor Martin Kenny, according to the Herald Express. "I would have thought eBay would have been keen to give evidence to allow the court to get to the bottom of this case."

Judge Philip Wassall told the jury he thought about having the plane that Morgan was on turn around in mid air so he could provide his testimony. The judge chose not to do so after considering the disruption it would cause other passengers.

The trial involves 20-year-old Alisdair Noon of Torquay and alleges conspiracy to defraud eBay buyers by not shipping low cost items on the site. Two other men in the case have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and will be sentenced in December.

Judge Wassall has issued a witness summons for Morgan and said he would also consider an order for wasted court costs.