Former Welsh MP accused of cheating by gambling on general election appears in court
Senior Conservatives including a former Welsh MP who was an aide of Rishi Sunak have appeared in court accused of cheating by gambling on the date of the 2024 general election.
Craig Williams, 39, who served as the Tory MP for Montgomeryshire and Cardiff North, has been charged with cheating at gambling and three counts of enabling or assisting others to cheat.
Williams, of Llanfair Caereinion, Welshpool, served as parliamentary private secretary to Rishi Sunak during his time as prime minister.
At Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday, Williams appeared wearing a smart black suit and grey tie alongside 14 others charged with similar offences.
Senedd Member
Others included former Tory member of Senedd Russell George, 50, and Thomas James, 38, the suspended director of the Welsh Conservatives, both of whom indicated not guilty pleas.
The charges come after “Operation Scott” was launched to investigate gambling by politicians and employees of the Conservative Party in the lead-up to the 2024 general election.
Rishi Sunak, who has provided a witness statement in this case, had noted that elections would take place in the second half of the year but had not given a date.
Prosecuting on behalf of the Gambling Commission, Sam Stein KC said: “Operation Scott was an investigation launched by the gambling commission into politicians and employees of the Conservative Party, and a former police officer … who had placed bets on the date of the 2024 general election with the benefit of confidential or insider information as to when that date might be.
“The prosecution says that placing bets with inside information is a criminal offence, namely cheating.”
Cardiff North
Williams was first the MP for Cardiff North between 2015 and 2017 before he lost his seat to Labour MP Anna McMorrin.
He was then elected as the MP for Montgomeryshire at the 2019 general election which he lost in July last year.
Before the July 4 election was called, planning took place at Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquarters, the court heard.
The 15 defendants are alleged to have placed bets based on confidential information gained from those rooms, or enabling others to place bets by passing that information on.
If convicted they could face up to two years in prison for these offences.
Twelve of the defendants indicated not guilty pleas.
On Friday, Simon Chatfield, 51, from Farnham, Surrey; Russell George, 50; Amy Hind, 34, of Loughton, Essex; Anthony Hind, 36, of Loughton, Essex; Thomas James, 38; Charlotte Lang, 36; Anthony Lee, 47; Laura Saunders, 37; Iain Makepeace, 47, from Newcastle Upon Tyne; Nick Mason, 51; Paul Place, 53, from Hammersmith, west London; and James Ward, 40, of Leeds, all indicated they would deny the charges.
Former MP Williams along with Jacob Willmer, 39, from Richmond, West London, and former police officer Jeremy Hunt, 55, of Horne in Surrey, gave no indication of plea.
The 15 accused gamblers will appear at Southwark Crown Court on July 11.
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I am not sure he is grinning like in the picture any more. It would be sad though if he gambled due to an addiction.
You are too much of a diplomat. Cocky Craig Williams thought he could beat the system, make quick buck, but was caught with his hand in the till. Serves him right! As I said. Will he be punished like the rest of us? Doubtful. I hope he is by the way. Although his real sentence will not be custodial, but stigma. And seeing most who are right-wing yearn for power, not being able to run for high office again will in itself be a dagger to his heart. Well I hope that’s the case. We live in strange times. Nothing… Read more »
The only time I’ve seen him without that smug public school grin was when he was caught on camera sleeping in the Commons! His only addiction is to climbing up the greasy Tory pole. He started out as a terrible councillor for my village and moved upwards at every opportunity. He gambled with a sense of entitlement, not addiction, and there will be nothing sad about seeing him convicted for it.
Who wants to “bet” (irony) this Conservative crook Craig Williams gets a slap on the wrist. It seems there’s one rule for dodgy politicians another for everyone else.
Now there’s a chops you could slap!!
I wonder if he winces every time you re-use that revolting photo.
I’d like to know a little more about it.
Is it one he previously he used deliberately for publicity!!!
Or did some passing photographer catch his nauseating true inner likeness by chance?
By the time these 15 suspects appear in court, it will be more than two years since the alleged offences were committed. Our ‘justice’ system is a joke.
The longer solicitors/barristers/lawyers can keep you on their books the more they can charge. The thicker the case file is the bigger the bill. It’s the same with house conveyancing. The actual work to be done is simple and could be done in a few weeks but they prefer to keep you waiting and send out several needless letters at up to £200 a time. It’s another British rip-off. After a relative of mine died the family asked me to do the business. I had done this on my own twice before when my parents died and was relatively easy.… Read more »