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| JJB Sports boss Christopher Ronnie jailed over £1m fraud | JJB Sports boss Christopher Ronnie jailed over £1m fraud |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The former chief executive of JJB Sports has been jailed for four years for taking £1m of backhanders in a "very greedy fraud". | The former chief executive of JJB Sports has been jailed for four years for taking £1m of backhanders in a "very greedy fraud". |
| Christopher Ronnie, 52, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, was found guilty in November of taking bungs from suppliers of the sportswear retailer in 2008. | Christopher Ronnie, 52, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, was found guilty in November of taking bungs from suppliers of the sportswear retailer in 2008. |
| London's Southwark Crown Court heard he used the six-figure payments to buy property in Florida. | London's Southwark Crown Court heard he used the six-figure payments to buy property in Florida. |
| Wigan-based JJB Sports was dissolved with almost £150m of debts in November. | Wigan-based JJB Sports was dissolved with almost £150m of debts in November. |
| Ronnie's business partners David Ball and David Barrington were also jailed for their parts in the fraud. | Ronnie's business partners David Ball and David Barrington were also jailed for their parts in the fraud. |
| Ball, 54, of Sutton in Surrey and Barrington, 52, of Sale in Greater Manchester, were each sentenced to 18 months in prison. | |
| The court heard Ronnie was £11m in debt to Icelandic Bank Kaupthing Singer Friedlander when he took the payments from three suppliers. | The court heard Ronnie was £11m in debt to Icelandic Bank Kaupthing Singer Friedlander when he took the payments from three suppliers. |
| He had told the bank he would provide documents about his loans and assets but he falsified the information. | He had told the bank he would provide documents about his loans and assets but he falsified the information. |
| He received a payment of £650,000 in February 2008 from Performance Brands - a sports goods supplier with which Ball and Barrington were both associated. | He received a payment of £650,000 in February 2008 from Performance Brands - a sports goods supplier with which Ball and Barrington were both associated. |
| In June that year, he received $380,000 (£197,000) from another supplier Fashion and Sport, which also had links to the pair. | In June that year, he received $380,000 (£197,000) from another supplier Fashion and Sport, which also had links to the pair. |
| A third payment, again from Fashion and Sport, was made to Ronnie later in 2008, this time for $250,000 (£134,000). | A third payment, again from Fashion and Sport, was made to Ronnie later in 2008, this time for $250,000 (£134,000). |
| 'Disgraceful breach' | 'Disgraceful breach' |
| Prosecutor Miranda Moore QC said the trio had been caught due to a "sheer fluke" when an engineer they asked to wipe emails related to the fraud from computers became concerned and contacted the Serious Fraud Office. | Prosecutor Miranda Moore QC said the trio had been caught due to a "sheer fluke" when an engineer they asked to wipe emails related to the fraud from computers became concerned and contacted the Serious Fraud Office. |
| Ronnie, who did not give evidence in his own defence, was convicted of three counts of fraud and two of furnishing false information. | Ronnie, who did not give evidence in his own defence, was convicted of three counts of fraud and two of furnishing false information. |
| Ms Moore said the company had been "going through tough times" when Ronnie took up the role as chief executive but the 52-year-old businessman had been "trusted and hailed as this new and brilliant leader". | Ms Moore said the company had been "going through tough times" when Ronnie took up the role as chief executive but the 52-year-old businessman had been "trusted and hailed as this new and brilliant leader". |
| Defending, Jim Sturman QC said Ronnie had been going through a "hellishly difficult year" due to the economic crash at the time, which "caught him unawares". | Defending, Jim Sturman QC said Ronnie had been going through a "hellishly difficult year" due to the economic crash at the time, which "caught him unawares". |
| Sentencing Ronnie, Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith said he had shown a "flagrant and disgraceful breach" of his duty as the company's chief executive. | Sentencing Ronnie, Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith said he had shown a "flagrant and disgraceful breach" of his duty as the company's chief executive. |
| He said within months of Ronnie taking up the role, he was "grossly abusing that position by embarking upon a course of conduct which was dishonest in the extreme". | He said within months of Ronnie taking up the role, he was "grossly abusing that position by embarking upon a course of conduct which was dishonest in the extreme". |
| "Over a period of nine months they gave you just under £1m [and] you hid the fact... because you wanted to keep your position and keep the money. | "Over a period of nine months they gave you just under £1m [and] you hid the fact... because you wanted to keep your position and keep the money. |
| "You had to disguise the real reason for the receipt of that money, you went to great lengths to do so." | "You had to disguise the real reason for the receipt of that money, you went to great lengths to do so." |
| Ronnie had tried to bat off the allegations, he said, telling police it was part of a "witch-hunt" against him. | Ronnie had tried to bat off the allegations, he said, telling police it was part of a "witch-hunt" against him. |
| He added that he was "unable to see any sign of remorse or even embarrassment about what you have done". | He added that he was "unable to see any sign of remorse or even embarrassment about what you have done". |
| JJB Sports was founded by former professional footballer Dave Whelan in 1971. | JJB Sports was founded by former professional footballer Dave Whelan in 1971. |
| He sold up in 2007 and his shares in the firm were bought by Ronnie, who was chief executive at the firm until March 2009. | He sold up in 2007 and his shares in the firm were bought by Ronnie, who was chief executive at the firm until March 2009. |