A scientist assisting the Yugoslavian war crimes tribunal also helped put York man Robert Claridge behind bars...by analysing his voice.

Claridge, 36, has twice tried to bribe prosecution witnesses in English cases during a long career in crime.

York Crown Court heard that after his half-brother Vincent James stabbed Acomb man Steven Wright, Claridge offered £1,000 to the victim not to pick his attacker out of an ID parade.

But Mr Wright's mother secretly recorded the conversation and police sent the tape to phonetics expert Dr John French, who is retained by the UN to analyse military tapes for the Yugoslavian war tribunals.

The doctor, chairman of the International Association for Forensic Phonetics, told a York jury the voice on the bribe tape strongly resembled Claridge's.

Claridge, from Fifth Avenue, Tang Hall, denied attempting to pervert the course of justice, but the jury unanimously convicted him.

He was jailed for three years.

It was his second conviction for attempting to bribe a witness in a criminal career that started 18 years ago and includes convictions for burglary and false imprisonment.

In 1994, with a Dringhouses man, Claridge raided the White Rose pub in Acomb, then offered its landlord £800 to drop the charge against them.

James, 27, of Spurr Court, Foxwood, is serving seven years for three attacks including wounding Mr Wright with intent. The victim failed to pick James out at the ID parade.

In a statement read to the jury that convicted Claridge, Mr Wright states that the bribe offer had no effect on his inability to recognise James. He also stated he was afraid of repercussions because he had reported the assault to police.

The jury heard Claridge arrived at his home a few days before the ID parade on a bicycle and offered the money. He gave the telephone number of his then home.

But Mr Wright's mother did not recognise him nine months later when he had grown a goatee beard.

Claridge did not give evidence.

His barrister, Martin McCarthy, said he had not been violent towards Mr Wright and the 1994 bribe had been "compensation" for the landlord.

Updated: 08:33 Friday, January 12, 2001