Trevor Baines

Trevor Baines
Born

John Trevor Roche Baines
19 December 1939 (1939-12-19) (age 76)

[1]
Formby, Liverpool, England[2]
Residence Douglas, Isle of Man (1973–2009)
Unknown (since 2015)
Nationality British
Occupation Criminal convict, former Businessman
Home town Formby, Liverpool, England
Net worth Bankrupt
Criminal charge Money laundering, False Accounting & Theft
Criminal penalty 8 1/2 years in total
Criminal status Imprisoned
Spouse(s) Wendy Baines[3]

John Trevor Roche Baines (born 19 December 1939), is a British former businessman and tycoon, who claimed to have amassed an estimated fortune of over £130 million, through banking, financial trading, and investment in the Miss World competition.[4] This claim was later described by a Manx Judge (Acting Deemster Turner) as "based on a lie".

He was sentenced to six years imprisonment in November 2009 by a Manx Court, after it was determined that he was guilty of money laundering and false accounting. The laundering - the far more serious charge - alleged was that he and two others had administered a trust fund in excess of $100m which was acquired by others and independently of Baines as a result of a share push scam or a pump and dump fraud known as the AremisSoft fraud.[5] The prosecution alleged that once the funds came to be managed by or through him he knew of the provenance of the fund and administered it with that knowledge (the level of knowledge required for criminal liability is suspicicion, though that suspicion has to be proven beyond reasonable doubt). He did not benefit directly from the fund itself but did receive payment by the fund for his administration of it.[6] One of the two individuals responsible for the original scam was subsequently sentenced to a non-custodial term.[7] The other remains at large.

In order to fund his legal expenses and shortly before his money laundering trial in late 2009 he was alleged to have expropriated funds from another trust which he was responsible, through one of his companies or personally, for administering (said to be theft) in order to pay counsel's fees. It was alleged that his local Manx advocate suspected this theft but nevertheless went on and received the money and thence paid counsel's fees anyway. She was also charged with money laundering along with Baines and his alleged accomplice, his wife. All three were convicted in February 2011, though Baines' advocate only of money laundering (without personal benefit); and both Mr and Mrs Baines having pleaded guilty shortly before their trial. Baines was sentenced to an additional 30 months imprisonment.[8] The advocate was convicted but her conviction was quashed on appeal to the Privy Council in February 2014 on the grounds that the trial judge failed to direct the jury properly as to the advocate's state of mind.[9] Under Isle of Man parole rules Baines was due to be released sometime in July or August 2015.

Mr Baines is a known associate and business partner of Mr Henry Taylor (deceased) and his son Timothy Edward Taylor, the extent of their involvement in the scam is not proven but they had very close dealings e.g. the purchase of items from Rosies Bar in Monaco

References

  1. ↑ Trevor Baines at Directorcheck.co.uk
  2. ↑ IOM Examiner, November 2009.
  3. ↑ Wendy Baines at Directorcheck.co.uk
  4. ↑ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6914730.ece
  5. ↑ http://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/lr17641.htm
  6. ↑ http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/nov/12/trevor-baines-jailed-laundering-scam
  7. ↑ Roys Poyiadjis
  8. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-12581477
  9. ↑ http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKPC/2014/4.html
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