Leeds jury in long-running trial failed to reach a verdict on money-laundering charge for four defendants.
14 December 2022
Socialite James Stunt has been cleared of forgery but a jury in his long-running trial has failed to reach a verdict on a money-laundering charge.
Stunt, who is the 40-year-old ex-husband of heiress Petra Ecclestone, was one of eight defendants on trial in Leeds in relation to an alleged criminal network which prosecutors said saw £266 million deposited in the bank account of Bradford gold dealer Fowler Oldfield from 2014 to 2016.
Four of the defendants – Paul Miller, 45; Heidi Buckler, 45; Alexander Tulloch, 41 and Francesca Sota, 34 – were cleared of money laundering at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday.
Ms Sota was also cleared of forgery.
But the jury of seven men and four women were unable to reach verdicts on the money-laundering charge in the case of four other defendants – Stunt; Greg Frankel, 44; Haroon Rashid, 51, and Daniel Rawson, 45 – after deliberating for more than six days.
The jury was discharged by Judge Andrew Stubbs KC.
Nicholas Clarke KC, prosecuting, told the court there will be a re-trial for these four defendants on the money-laundering charge.
