Bale riches ‘could help lover’s dad dodge trial’
THE father of footballer Gareth Bale’s long-term girlfriend has been denied bail in his impending American fraud trial, amid fears he could use the Wales star’s millions to flee the country and dodge justice.
Martin Rhys-Jones has been on remand in New York for two years over allegations he ran a ‘boiler room’ investment scam that netted £3.2million, much of it from British victims.
His lawyers launched a legal bid to get him released on £150,000 bail, saying it was unfair he could face another two years behind bars before his case comes up.
However, prosecutors successfully argued that Rhys-Jones was at risk of skipping bail – as he did in 2012 when the Metropolitan Police arrested him and he fled to Spain. They added: ‘It is certainly reasonable to conclude that Rhys-Jones’s daughter [Bale’s partner Emma] could be a source of support which would enable him to fight his return to the United States.’
Bale became the world’s most expensive footballer when Real Madrid bought him from Spurs for £86million in 2013, and he earns about £13million a year.
He has postponed his wedding to Emma – his childhood sweetheart and mother of his three-year-old daughter Alba – in the hope her dad will be released to walk her down the aisle.
Judge Hugh Scott refused the bail bid, saying Rhys-Jones, 51, had a ‘history of using aliases and ignoring travel restrictions to evade criminal responsibility’.