Ex-Tory MP amongst 15 in court docket dealing with betting fees

Fifteen folks, together with former Tory MP Craig Williams, have appeared in court docket charged with betting offences linked to the timing of final 12 months’s basic election.

It follows an investigation by the Playing Fee into alleged betting on the date of the election.

Showing at Westminster Magistrates Courtroom on Friday, Williams was amongst three defendants who gave no indication of a plea at this stage.

Twelve others, together with Russell George, a former Conservative now impartial member of the Welsh Senedd, indicated they might deny the costs.

The defendants will seem once more at Southwark Crown Courtroom on July 11.

On 22 Might 2024, Rishi Sunak introduced the overall election could be held on 4 July that 12 months, overturning earlier expectations of an autumn ballot.

Prosecuting on behalf of the Playing Fee, Sam Stein KC stated Sunak was amongst these to have given a witness assertion within the case.

Mr Stein informed the court docket the fee’s investigation was launched into “politicians and workers of the Conservative Occasion, and a former police officer… who had positioned bets on the date of the 2024 basic election with the advantage of confidential or insider info as to when that date is likely to be”.

“The prosecution says that inserting bets with inside info is a felony offence, particularly dishonest,” he added.

Earlier than the election was referred to as, Williams was the MP for Montgomeryshire and a parliamentary aide to Sunak.

He was beforehand MP for Cardiff North between 2015 and 2017, earlier than he misplaced his seat to Labour within the election that 12 months.

Together with Williams, former police officer Jeremy Hunt, 55, of Horne in Surrey, and Jacob Willmer, 39, from Richmond, west London, didn’t point out a plea.

Together with George, these indicating a not responsible plea included Laura Saunders, the previous Conservative parliamentary candidate in Bristol North West, and her accomplice Anthony Lee.

The others indicating they might deny the costs included Simon Chatfield, 51, from Farnham, Surrey, Amy Hind, 34, of Loughton, Essex, Anthony Hind, 36, of Loughton, Essex, Thomas James, 38, Charlotte Lang, 36, Iain Makepeace, 47, from Newcastle Upon Tyne, Nick Mason, 51, Paul Place, 54, from Hammersmith, west London and James Ward, 40, of Leeds.