Taxpayers face a staggering £2.8million bill after socialite James Stunt was awarded legal aid despite his opulent lifestyle as he fought accusations of money laundering.
After two long-running trials, the ex-husband of Formula One heiress Petra Ecclestone was cleared of being at the heart of a £266million operation to turn criminal cash from drug gangs into gold.
During their seven-year marriage, he lived a super-rich lifestyle, spending millions of pounds on paintings by Old Masters, fine wine, gambling and a fleet of expensive cars.
But because his assets were frozen before he was later declared bankrupt, self-confessed former cocaine and gambling addict Mr Stunt was entitled to taxpayer-funded legal aid.
Now after a request under Freedom of Information legislation, the Daily Mail has established the total amount paid to his lawyers stands at a massive £2,178.524.66.
That is in addition to the cost to the public purse of running and staffing the crown court for 11 months, estimated at over £600,000.
Mr Stunt, 43, is currently seeking to have the freezing order lifted, saying he believes his assets are greater than his debts.
Yet because he was acquitted of the criminal charges, the Legal Aid Agency cannot recoup a penny of the money he was awarded – a situation one senior Tory MP branded ‘incredible’.
James Stunt pictured outside Leeds Crown Court with his girlfriend Helena Robinson where he was cleared of any involvement in a £266m money laundering ring
James Stunt pictured with his ex-wife Petra Ecclestone at their engagement party in 2011
Sir Ashley Fox, a former solicitor and member of the Commons Justice Committee, said: ‘Legal aid is a critical part of our judicial system, allowing all those accused of a crime able to access legal representation.
‘It is in the public interest to make sure it is defended, and that includes ensuring it is awarded fairly in all instances.
‘James Stunt’s legal aid bill does seem extraordinarily high.
‘Given his lifestyle, it would seem incredible that the legal aid board are not able to recover some or all of the bill from his substantial personal fortune.’
The allegations stemmed from Mr Stunt’s dream of refining the highest quality ‘Stunt’ branded gold bars, for which he was unable to source the unrefined or scrap gold that he needed as the raw material.
He went into partnership with jewellers Fowler Oldfield, based in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
But prosecutors claimed the loss-making gold manufacturing venture in time turned into a profitable criminal money laundering enterprise.
Up to £30million of criminal cash was allegedly delivered to Mr Stunt’s London office.
Mr Stunt clapped his hands together with relief as he was found not guilty of money laundering
It was then counted and collected to be deposited in the Fowler Oldfield account with NatWest, which was later fined almost £265million for failing to comply with anti-laundering rules.
At the same time some of the gold was turned into untraceable gold grain and sent to Dubai, presumably to be dispatched to the criminal gang masters providing the mountains of ‘dirty’ cash, it was alleged.
Mr Stunt was living in a Los Angeles mansion at the time and insisted he had no idea the tens of millions of pounds of cash arriving at his firm’s London headquarters was from criminal sources.
A first trial ended with the jury unable to reach a verdict over the key charge.
But in March he was found not guilty of money laundering at Leeds Crown Court after a jury in a second trial was given a majority direction.
Four other defendants were convicted of money laundering.
Following his acquittal, Mr Stunt hugged his father, saying he had been through ‘nine years of hell’.
Weeks later he backed an application by his bankruptcy trustees at the High Court in London requiring the Crown Prosecution Service and West Yorkshire Police to give details of Stunt’s assets, which were frozen after he was placed under investigation.
Mr Stunt pictured with his then-wife Petra Ecclestone at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2012
James Stunt’s huge mansion in Los Angeles which he shared with his ‘staggeringly wealthy’ ex-wife, Formula One heiress Petra Ecclestone
These include a ‘remarkable’ collection of paintings ranging from Old Masters to impressionists and modern works, a judge said.
During his criminal trial it emerged that police had insured seized artworks worth £100million.
Mr Stunt’s collection of fine wines was even said to be worth £30million.
He was represented by a KC and junior counsel at both trials, the first lasting seven months and the second four months.
After his acquittal, his solicitors said they had been working on the case for six years.
Defendants can be ordered to repay legal aid from any disposable capital in excess of £30,000, but only if they are convicted of at least one offence.
The Ministry of Justice insists that means-tested legal aid ultimately saves the taxpayer money as defendants denied legal representation would be entitled to appeal.
A spokeswoman for the Legal Aid Agency said: ‘Defendants who are acquitted do not have to pay back legal costs.’
Mr Stunt’s lawyers declined to comment.
