Ashley dismisses pub deal claim to boost share price as ‘nonsense’

Newcastle United owner and Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has told a High Court judge that a finance expert who says he reneged on a £15 million deal struck during a night of heavy drinking in a pub is talking “nonsense”.

Investment banker Jeffrey Blue says Mr Ashley promised to pay him £15m if he used his expertise to increase Sports Direct’s share price to £8 a share.

He says Mr Ashley paid only £1m and he wants £14mdamages.

Mr Ashley denies the claim. 0 Mike Ashley told judge there was a ‘heavy night of drinking’

He told Mr Justice Leggatt yesterday: “It’s nonsense.”

Mr Justice Leggatt began analysing evidence at a High Court trial in London on Monday. The judge has heard the dispute between Mr Blue and Mr Ashley relates to a conversation in a central London pub.

Mr Blue says Mr Ashley made a promise during a meeting in the Horse And Groom four years ago.

Mr Ashley said in a witness statement how he met Mr Blue and three other finance specialists at the pub in January 2013. “When we got to the pub we started drinking heavily and consumed a lot of alcohol during the evening,” he said.

“We must have had four or five rounds of drinks in the first hour. I can’t remember the details of the conversations we had in the pub as it was a heavy night of drinking.”