Tech tycoon Lawrence Jones is responsible of drugging and raping two girls

A multi-millionaire tech tycoon as soon as referred to as ‘Britain’s nicest boss’ was at present discovered responsible of drugging and raping two ‘stupefied’ girls whereas working as a resort pianist nearly 30 years in the past – together with his two daughters sobbing in court docket because the verdicts have been returned. 

Former tech tycoon Lawrence Jones, 55, pounced on each girls at his flat whereas incomes a dwelling as a musician within the early Nineties. In each instances, they have been rendered ‘stupefied and left partially aware however unable to react’ after the UKFast founder used medicine to ‘facilitate’ their rape. 

One was ‘given one thing to smell, which had a right away impression on her’, lasting the ‘only a few minutes’ it took Jones to rape her, prosecutors stated. The different was ‘given a glass of wine and one thing which she believed was hashish to smoke’, however ‘once more the impact was fairly fast’.

Following the responsible verdicts – which took the jury simply over 4 hours – it could actually now be reported that Jones has spent the previous 9 months behind bars after being convicted of sexually assaulting a feminine worker at a London resort. 

Before his gorgeous downfall, the father-of-four – who left faculty in north Wales with simply 4 O-levels – had constructed a £700million fortune and a status as a enterprise guru, enjoying chess towards Sir Richard Branson on Necker Island and recurrently that includes on the BBC.

His success noticed him appointed MBE for companies to the digital financial system, and he twice donated £100,000 to the Conservative Party. Jones’ loyal spouse Gail – with whom he shares 4 daughters – had stood by him in the course of the trial. 

Last January the Bentley-driving former cathedral chorister was convicted of sexually assaulting an worker – then a latest graduate – on a enterprise journey at a penthouse resort suite in 2013. 

The lady, who claimed Jones had instructed her that as a part of her position she wanted to ‘appear to be a Bond lady’, advised police Jones had grabbed her legs as they sat on a settee, saying: ‘Let me see your knickers.’

The millionaire then tried to push her thighs aside and get on high of her, she alleged, as she cried out: ‘No!’

‘He was pulling my costume down, pulling the highest down,’ she added. ‘I used to be terrified, I used to be actually scared. I felt like he was making an attempt to have intercourse with me if I’m being sincere. It was nearly like I used to be his.’ 

The two rapes he was convicted of at present occurred in a flat in Salford, Greater Manchester between 1993 and 1994 when Jones was about 25.

But the victims didn’t come ahead till ‘a few years’ later, by which period Jones was ‘within the public eye’ on account of turning into a profitable entrepreneur. 

The first sufferer, Woman A, met Jones whereas working in Manchester metropolis centre. 

She took a dislike to Jones after his response when she was ‘complaining’ about her ‘love life’, prosecutor Eloise Marshall KC advised jurors.

Jones allegedly advised her ‘effectively you simply want a rattling good seeing to, you simply want a great f******, do not you?’.

According to Woman A, ‘she not solely disagreed together with his politics however discovered him smug’.

However in late 1993, Jones requested her to come back to his flat for a drink and a ‘chat’ so they might ‘get to know each other’.

She agreed and arrived alone on the ‘dimly lit’ flat after midnight, the place Jones poured her a glass of wine – most likely purple – earlier than rolling a ‘spliff’.

He then sat down subsequent to her – ‘manspreading in the direction of her on the couch’, she later recalled – whereas she had a few drags on the joint and one glass of wine.

But the lady would later say her recollections of what occurred are ‘like snapshots or freeze frames’.

She later advised police she recalled going to the bathroom and feeling ‘ailing’ – ‘spaced out, very floaty and never… proper in any respect’.

In one other ‘flash of reminiscence’, she remembered Jones standing together with his arms round her.

She felt ‘very unusual, as if her physique wasn’t her personal, she felt numb’. 

Then she recalled ‘falling backwards onto the mattress’ and ‘coming spherical’ to seek out Jones ‘kissing her neck and her chest passionately with one hand going round her waist onto her again and the opposite hand on her left breast’.

At this level she believes she was bare-legged and had no high on. She believes she requested Jones one thing like ‘What are you doing?’

But he responded with one thing like ‘it’s going to be our secret’ and ‘it’s going to be good for you’, she stated.

The lady stated Jones warned her that he might do what he needed to her as a result of no-one knew she was there. 

Her subsequent reminiscence was when she ‘got here spherical’ the next morning, with Jones reserving her a taxi so she would not be late for work.

She felt ‘actually, actually tough, actually sick with a headache as if she had had a giant night time out’ somewhat than how she would count on to really feel after only one glass of wine.

Feeling ‘numb’ and ‘in shock’, she went residence after her shift and had a bathe.

Woman A simply needed to really feel ‘regular’, she later advised police.

She advised three pals on the time about what had allegedly occurred, Ms Marshall stated, and later spoke to a counsellor and a police officer, though she didn’t make a proper criticism at that stage.

Her account to them was ‘constant’ with what she would go on to inform police in 2021, jurors have been advised.

The second alleged incident concerned a lady in her early 20s whom Jones had met whereas enjoying piano at Manchester bars, and likewise making an attempt to determine an organization managing musicians.

She advised police she was chatting with Jones – who she described as having ‘poor hygiene’ and ‘an actual ‘Ew’ about him’ – at his flat in 1993 or 1994 when he requested how outdated she was.

When she gave her age, Jones allegedly replied ‘have a look at you, you are beautiful’.

Jones then allegedly advised her to smell a small drugs bottle with a transparent liquid inside it.

Woman B agreed – one thing the court docket heard now ‘surprises’ her – ‘and immediately felt actually, actually drunk’, prosecutor Eloise Marshall stated.

She advised police how she grew to become ‘immediately type of actually floppy and relaxed throughout and actually out of it’.

The court docket heard she felt ‘Whoa’ and determined simply to ‘lie again’ on a mattress as she felt ‘light-headed and never utterly aware’.

But as she was mendacity on her again together with her eyes shut, Jones had intercourse together with her.

She advised jurors that Woman B recalled how ‘there was no kissing, no dialog and no foreplay’.

It lasted about 30 seconds, in line with Woman B who stated it had been ‘weird and so quick, and so type of opportunistic’.

Jurors have been advised her response had been nearly like: ‘Did that actually occur?’

Rather than being ‘indignant’, she felt ‘shocked’, but in addition that it was her fault as she had not ‘fought again’, Ms Marshall stated.

She questioned on the time whether or not it might be categorized as rape because it had not been violent, she had not been pinned down and she or he didn’t attempt to scream or push him off, jurors have been advised.

As a consequence, she was subsequently not ‘assured sufficient’ to accuse Jones of raping her, describing herself as ‘naïve’.

Feeling no-one would consider her, she determined to ‘park it’, though she later advised her future husband and a detailed good friend. She made a proper criticism to police in April 2022.

Interviewed by detectives in February 2022 about Woman A’s allegation, Jones made no remark to ‘nearly each query’ he was requested. 

He supplied a ready assertion during which he denied raping her, with or with out the usage of medicine.

Jones was interviewed about Woman B’s allegations in July 2022, making no remark to the questions he was requested.

However in a ready assertion he accepted having identified her however ‘vehemently’ denied raping her.

The trial will hear proof concerning the totally different medicine that Jones might have used primarily based on the ladies’s accounts.

Jones, of Hale Barns, Greater Manchester, can be sentenced on December 1. 

Revealed: Double rapist businessman had already been convicted for sexually assaulting a feminine worker on a London enterprise journey 

Lawrence Jones had already been convicted of sexually assaulting a feminine worker, it may be revealed at present.

The 55-year-old was as soon as hailed as ‘Britain’s nicest boss’ after the five hundred employees at his Manchester-based internet hosting agency got perks together with an on-site bar, ice rink, recording studio and even a ‘den’ for taking naps.

But the entrepreneur was at present convicted of raping a two girls within the early Nineties – and it could actually now be reported that he has spent the previous 9 months behind bars over the assault at a London resort.

Before his gorgeous downfall, the father-of-four – who left faculty in north Wales with simply 4 O-levels – had constructed a status as a enterprise guru.

However he and his spouse Gail – who based the enterprise from a spare bed room – reduce their ties with UKFast after a bombshell 2019 Financial Times article during which feminine workers accused him of bullying and sexual harassment.

Last January the Bentley-driving former cathedral chorister was convicted of sexually assaulting one on a enterprise journey at a resort in 2013.

The lady, who claimed Jones had instructed her that as a part of her position she wanted to ‘appear to be a Bond lady’, advised police Jones had grabbed her legs as they sat on a settee, saying: ‘Let me see your knickers.’

The millionaire then tried to push her thighs aside and get on high of her, she alleged, as she cried out: ‘No!’

‘He was pulling my costume down, pulling the highest down,’ she added.

‘I used to be terrified, I used to be actually scared.

‘I felt like he was making an attempt to have intercourse with me if I’m being sincere.

‘It was nearly like I used to be his.’

Jones was acquitted of raping and sexually assaulting a second feminine former worker who alleged he had pinned her down and attacked her as she was getting ready for the UKFast Christmas celebration at a classy Manchester resort in 2010.

A string of lurid revelations about his way of life and behavior in the direction of feminine workers emerged in the course of the case, together with his personal declare that one carried out a intercourse act upon him within the steam room of his £3million Cheshire mansion following a tequila-fuelled consuming session.

However the Press have been barred from reporting the case or its final result to keep away from prejudicing a second trial after two girls accused Jones of raping them within the Nineties.

He has been behind bars ever since after a decide rejected a bail utility backed by sureties totalling £1.4million, saying there was a danger he might flee the nation.

That conviction can at present be reported after the decide lifted restrictions following his conviction for raping the 2 girls whereas incomes a dwelling as a resort pianist within the Nineties.

In each instances, the ladies – neither of whom knew each other – have been rendered ‘stupefied and left partially aware however unable to react’, Manchester Crown Court was advised.

One claimed Jones invited her to his Salford flat for a late night time drink in late 1993.

She advised police she started feeling ‘spaced out’ and ‘very floaty’ after he poured her a glass of wine and rolled her a hashish joint.

When she ‘got here spherical’, she discovered him ‘kissing her neck’ earlier than a ‘grinning’ Jones then had ‘forceful’ intercourse together with her.

The different alleged sufferer alleged that Jones advised her to smell a small drugs bottle with a transparent liquid inside.

She claimed she instantly felt ‘relaxed throughout and actually out of it’, and slumped onto a mattress the place she alleged that Jones had ‘opportunistic’ intercourse together with her.

Jones insisted he had no recollection of assembly one of many girls, and admitted having intercourse with the opposite however insisted it had been consensual, saying he had ‘completely not’ raped her.

Despite not figuring out each other, each girls gave nearly equivalent descriptions of the lay-out of the residence.

Their accounts clashed with Jones’s account of what the flat was like after being questioned over the primary allegation – a lie which was uncovered, the prosecution claimed, when the second accuser independently corroborated her description.

Damagingly, Jones additionally admitted below cross-examination that he had used chemical compounds to reinforce intercourse as a single man.

Jones agreed he would give girls ‘poppers’ – amyl nitrate – to smell and inhale the stimulant himself saying it gave him a ‘good heat fuzzy feeling’.

But he maintained he would by no means give any substance to a lady with out her consent and denied each rape accusations, saying they ‘by no means occurred’.

The jury’s verdicts provoked gasps and tears from his spouse of 21 years and enterprise associate Gail, who has stood by him all through his spectacular fall from grace, attending day-after-day of each trials.

She hugged two of the couple’s daughters who sobbed and shook because the jury foreman delivered their verdicts.

The glamorous 45-year-old gazed at her husband with obvious adoration, taking pictures him cheery grins – regardless of claims made in court docket forward of his first trial, however by no means positioned earlier than a jury, that he spoke to her in a ‘horrendous approach in entrance of different individuals’ at work, calling her ‘silly’.