**Arrest Warrant Issued for Former Co-operative Bank Chairman**

An arrest warrant has been issued for Paul Flowers, the disgraced former chairman of the Co-operative Bank, after he failed to appear at court for his fraud sentencing.

Flowers, 74, pleaded guilty to numerous fraud charges, amounting to nearly £100,000, related to his abuse of position as the executor of the will and power of attorney for Margaret Jarvis.

During today's session at Manchester Crown Court, it was revealed that Flowers had 'disengaged' from his legal team, despite a solicitor reaching out to him on Thursday night to discuss the implications of his absence.

Judge Nicholas Dean KC, the Honorary Recorder of Manchester, issued a warrant not backed for bail. This comes after several preliminary hearings were canceled due to Flowers citing health issues. In November 2023, another judge also issued a warrant for his non-appearance.

Judge Dean remarked on Flowers' 'fragile mental health', adding that an immediate custodial sentence for his sustained offense against a 'vulnerable victim' could be 'almost inevitable', potentially explaining his failure to attend court.

Flowers, residing in Salford, was infamously dubbed the 'Crystal Methodist' after a 2013 Mail on Sunday expose revealed footage of him handing over £300 for crystal meth and other drugs in Leeds.

Earlier that year, he had resigned as chairman of the Co-operative Bank after a £1.5 billion shortfall was discovered in its finances.

A former Labour councillor in Rochdale and Bradford, Flowers was banned from the financial services industry after the Financial Conduct Authority found he lacked the necessary fitness and propriety to work in the sector. Investigations revealed that he used his work mobile to make inappropriate calls to a premium-rate chat line and sent sexually explicit messages using his work email while discussing illegal drugs.