Libor scandal trader Tom Hayes’s lawyer tells Court of Appeal he was denied a fair trial in an appeal against the 14-year sentence on eight charges of conspiracy to defraud
Tom Hayes’s name was back in court again today, as his lawyers argued to the Court of Appeal that the former trader was denied a fair trial.
According to Reuters, the legal team for Hayes, who was found guilty of eight charges of conspiracy to defraud and sentenced in August to 14 years in jail for his role in the Libor rigging scandal, contended that his prison sentence is excessive, partly because his defense was prevented from delivering what they believe to be key evidence.
Neil Hawes, the barrister who represented Hayes during his trial, told judges that he should have been allowed to deliver evidence about the banking industry during his closing speech, which would have allowed the jury to consider Hayes’s actions in light of what was culture of the profession for that time.
However, in his sentencing remarks delivered in August, Justice Jeremy Cooke said that Hayes’s conduct “must be marked out as dishonest and wrong and a message sent to the world of banking accordingly.”
Today was the first day of a two-day appeal to the Court of Appeal.
The judges hearing the appeal are the head of the judiciary for England and Wales Lord Chief Justice John Thomas, Sir Brian Leveson – who is well-known for his role in the inquiry into ethics in the media – and Lady Justice Gloster.