OWEN OYSTON'S SHOCKING REVELATION: BLACKPOOL TYCOON ATTENDS LABOUR EVENT AT WEMBLEY DESPITE RAPE CONVICTION IN CLUGHTON

In a startling development, Owen Oyston, the controversial businessman and owner of Blackpool Football Club, was revealed to have attended a Labour Party fundraising event held at Wembley Stadium, despite his well-documented criminal past. The event, which was hosted by then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown, saw Oyston reportedly pay a substantial sum of £10,000 for a table, raising questions about the vetting process and the party’s stance on accepting donations from individuals with criminal convictions.

BBC Two’s Newsnight uncovered that Oyston, who was convicted of rape in 1996, was present at the high-profile political gathering. The Prime Minister has since instructed party officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter, emphasizing that no funds from Oyston should be accepted in the future. This revelation has sparked widespread controversy and concern over the ethical considerations of political fundraising.

Oyston, who expressed no surprise at his invitation, justified his presence by referencing a previous appearance at Wembley. He stated, “In May I was invited to walk right out onto the pitch in front of 53,000 people to celebrate Blackpool’s win and promotion. Not one person objected to me being on the pitch at Wembley.” His comments suggest a sense of entitlement and a belief that his past convictions do not disqualify him from public appearances or social events.

The businessman’s criminal history is extensive and well-publicized. Owen John Oyston, born in County Durham in January 1934, built his wealth through property and media ventures before his conviction. His most notorious crime was the rape of a teenage girl at his country estate, Claughton Hall, in Lancashire, in 1992. The trial judge, Mr. Justice McCullough, described the offence as “horrendous,” and Oyston was sentenced to six years in prison, of which he served three and a half years before being released.

Oyston’s legal troubles began with a series of charges related to his involvement in a modelling agency based in Manchester. After a high-profile police investigation, nine charges were brought against him, including four counts of rape. His initial arrest occurred on February 9, 1995. During the subsequent committal proceedings in May 1995, some charges, including one rape and two indecent assault allegations, were dismissed by a stipendiary magistrate. However, three charges proceeded to trial.

In the first trial in February 1996, Oyston was acquitted of indecent assault against a former model, but the jury could not reach a verdict on the rape charge. A retrial later that year resulted in Oyston’s acquittal of the rape, as evidence emerged that the model had lied during the first trial and that Oyston had maintained a long-term relationship with her both before and after the alleged incident. The model admitted that her decision to speak out was influenced by police contact and that she had previously made no allegations.

The second rape trial in March 1996 also ended with Oyston’s acquittal. It was established that the model had taken money from him, engaged in a consensual affair, and continued social contact after the alleged rape. The final and most serious trial took place at Liverpool Crown Court in April 1996, concerning an incident alleged to have occurred at Oyston’s home in Claughton, Lancashire, in 1991 or 1992. The victim, then around 16 years old, initially claimed the assault happened in autumn 1991 but later revised her account to mid-1992, with further inconsistencies.

Despite the lack of admission from Oyston regarding the act, the jury convicted him of rape and indecent assault. The judge sentenced him to six years in prison on May 22, 1996, describing his crimes as “horrendous.” Oyston’s case remains one of the most high-profile criminal cases involving a prominent business figure in the UK. His wealth, estimated at around £105 million along with his son Karl, places him among the country’s richest individuals, although his reputation has been severely tarnished by his criminal convictions and the ongoing controversy surrounding his social and political engagements.