Millionaire sex predator Lawrence Jones was willing to stump up £1.4m to pay his way out of prison
25.11.2023 - 17:51
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Disgraced businessman Lawrence Jones was willing to put up £1.4m to secure his release from prison just two months after he was convicted of sexual assault - so he could carry on enjoying his life and doing business, the Manchester Evening News can reveal.
The millionaire founder of tech giant UKFast was convicted in January and immediately remanded into custody. But a judge ordered the media not to report the case until the conclusion of Jones' second trial which ended with the 55-year-old, from Hale Barns, convicted of two rapes relating to two victims.
It can now be revealed that, after two-and-a-half months spent on remand, Jones made a determined bid for freedom - to be released on bail ahead of his second trial. The application to be released on bail, made on April 17, was rejected by Judge Sarah Johnston over fears he would flee the country.
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Jones' legal team offered sureties totalling £1.4m, as well as a private company to provide a series of security measures, including a chaperone to ensure he would remain under 'virtual house arrest' if he were released on bail. The prosecution opposed the application, arguing the range of measures being suggested would be 'ineffective if there's a determined effort to leave the jurisdiction'.
Judge Johnson turned down the application, saying the court had to perform a 'balancing exercise' as it had done when she had turned down an earlier application for Jones to be released on bail made shortly after his conviction. She said the defendant faced 'serious allegations' in his upcoming trial and that his 'period of