Multi-millionaire tech entrepreneur Lawrence Jones has been discovered responsible of raping two girls in Manchester within the Nineteen Nineties.
The former UKFast chief govt was convicted in January this 12 months of sexually assaulting one other girl in 2013, which couldn’t be reported till at present due to court docket restrictions.
He has already spent 10 months behind bars after being remanded in custody earlier this 12 months following that conviction.
But the 55-year-old is anticipated to be sentenced for all three offences on 1 December following the conclusion of a second trial.
Jones, who arrange the webhosting supplier along with his spouse Gail in 1999, was as soon as thought of one of the crucial influential expertise magnates within the UK with an estimated wealth of about £700m, based on the Financial Times.
UKFast employed round 500 workers and had greater than 5,000 shoppers together with the NHS, the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Office, incomes Jones an MBE in 2015 for providers to the digital financial system.
Allegations towards him have been first made in 2019, when a former worker advised police he had sexually assaulted her throughout a enterprise journey to London.
In May 2019 Jones was investigated underneath warning the place he answered “no comment” to all questions.
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‘Let me see your knickers’
During a trial in January this 12 months, prosecutor Eloise Marshall KC advised jurors Jones and his former worker – a sufferer referred to by police as Woman A – had gone as much as a penthouse suite which had two separate bedrooms however a shared seating space.
Ms Marshall described how Jones made quite a few advances on the lady.
At one level, he stated to her “let me see your knickers” and positioned his arms on her physique, the trial heard.
“This caused her dress to ride up and as she was trying to pull it down and get away, he was trying to get on top of her,” Ms Marshall stated.
The girl managed to free herself from Jones and lock herself in one of many rooms, based on the prosecutor.
She later left UKFast and was reportedly paid a £13,000 settlement “for her silence”, Ms Marshall stated, and was required to signal a non-disclosure settlement.
Jones had denied the accusation and claimed the lady had turn into drunk within the resort bar and was “flirtatious”.
“I put my hands on people’s shoulders but only people I thought I had a really good relationship with. There’s nothing sexual about what I was doing,” he advised the court docket in January.
“I gave hugs to people, that’s the sort of person I am.”
Jones was discovered responsible of sexual assault however was acquitted of sexually assaulting and raping a fourth girl at Manchester Crown Court.
Women reported feeling ‘woozy’ and ‘floaty’
In 2021, a second girl (Woman B) got here ahead and accused Jones of raping and sexually assaulting her in 1993, when she was a pupil on the University of Manchester and Jones was in a relationship together with her pal.
She advised the court docket that her physique felt “floaty” after having one glass of wine that Jones had poured whereas the pair have been at his flat.
In the years after the assault, she stated she had advised buddies what had occurred to her, however didn’t really feel capable of report it to police on the time.
A 12 months later, a 3rd girl (Woman C) – who didn’t know the opposite complainant – advised police she and her associate had turn into buddies with Jones in 1993, when he performed music in pubs and bars throughout Manchester.
She accused Jones of rape after she had felt woozy and laid on her mattress after he advised her to odor a bottle of liquid he was holding.
In 2019, she advised her husband and a pal concerning the offence and three years later in 2022, she reported the incident to Greater Manchester Police.
Jones was convicted of raping Woman B and Woman C after pleading not responsible at a trial which lasted three weeks.
Jurors weren’t advised about his earlier sexual assault conviction.
Mrs Jones held her hand over her mouth because the unanimous verdicts have been learn out in court docket, and two of the defendant’s daughters have been in tears within the public gallery.
Source: information.sky.com”