Multi-millionaire businessman Lawrence Jones, the founder of the Manchester-based tech company UKFast, has been convicted of serious sexual crimes. He was found guilty of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after trials at Manchester Crown Court.

Details of the case reveal that the 55-year-old assaulted women, including administering drugs to incapacitate them before committing rapes at his flat in Salford during the late 1990s.

Jones stepped down from his role as CEO of UKFast in 2019 when allegations first surfaced following an investigation by the Financial Times. He later resigned from his charity foundation, stating the need to focus on clearing his name amidst what he called false allegations.

The charity he formed, aimed at supporting young Mancunians from disadvantaged backgrounds, was renamed in 2020 after he left UKFast. His wife, Gail, managed the business following his departure until its merger with ANS Group in 2022.

Evidence presented in court detailed Jones' manipulation and inappropriate behavior, including drugging and raping at his flat. Further reports disclosed a previous conviction for a separate sexual assault in the early 2010s.

Jones blamed the victim during police investigations, but jurors convicted him after seeing through his defense. His public image, once of success and respectability, is shattered as he faces a significant prison sentence, expected to be announced on December 1.