In a shocking turn of events, Lawrence Jones, a prominent tech entrepreneur and millionaire, has been found guilty of drugging and raping two women in the early 1990s. Jones, 55, carried out the assaults during his time as a hotel pianist, decades before gaining public recognition for his success with UKFast Limited.
The recent conviction also disclosed that Jones was found guilty of sexually assaulting an ex-employee in 2013, following a trial in January. He has already served 10 months in jail and is set to be sentenced on December 1 at Manchester Crown Court.
During the latest trial, it was revealed that Jones drugged the two women in the 1990s, rendering them “stupefied and partially conscious” before committing the assaults. The victims detailed their experiences, with one describing feeling “frozen” and unable to resist while the other recounted the incident as “bizarre” and “opportunistic.”
In the earlier trial, Jones was cleared of raping and sexually assaulting the first complainant but convicted of one count of sexual assault against the second complainant. The prosecution highlighted “inappropriate comments” and “intrusive questions” posed by Jones, who later became forceful in his advances. The victim managed to escape and later left UKFast after receiving a £13,000 settlement, accompanied by a non-disclosure agreement.
Jones, a father of four, co-founded UKFast with his wife in 1999, growing the company to provide web services to over 5,000 clients, including governmental entities. His success earned him an MBE in 2015 for services to the digital economy. In May 2020, Jones and his wife severed ties with UKFast when they sold their remaining shares to a private equity investor.
