James Stunt Acquitted

A jury at Leeds Crown Court has acquitted socialite James Stunt of involvement in a £200 million money laundering scheme, following a trial that examined allegations of turning criminal cash into untraceable gold.

Stunt, the former son-in-law of Formula 1 magnate Bernie Ecclestone, was accused of allowing his prestigious Mayfair office to function as a hub for laundering illicit funds. However, on Tuesday, the jury ruled that the 43-year-old was not guilty of any wrongdoing in the operation, which prosecutors claimed spanned two years and involved millions of pounds in criminal proceeds.

Allegations and Trial Proceedings

Prosecutors alleged that between 2014 and 2016, vast sums of cash were funneled from various locations across the UK to multiple sites, including Bradford gold dealer Fowler Oldfield, Mr. Stunt’s business premises in London, and an office in Hatton Garden operated by Pure Nines Limited. The scheme reportedly involved depositing the money into company accounts before using it to purchase gold, which was then shipped to Dubai.

While Stunt was acquitted, four co-defendants — Gregory Frankel, 47, Daniel Rawson, 47, Haroon Rashid, 54, and Arjun Babber, 32—were found guilty of money laundering. Only Stunt and Rawson were present in court when the verdicts were read. Rawson, upon hearing his conviction, broke down in tears and had to be consoled by a dock officer.

Stunt’s Defense and Reaction

Throughout the trial, Stunt maintained his innocence, stating he had no knowledge of any criminal activity when entering business with Frankel and Rawson. He described his involvement as a legitimate venture to refine scrap gold into high-purity bars, insisting he had never believed he was “entering into a criminal agreement to facilitate the deposit of criminal proceeds of crime.”

Following the trial, Stunt expressed gratitude toward the jury and his legal team, telling reporters, “I just want to have a private life.”

Meanwhile, the convicted defendants await sentencing, with a date yet to be determined.