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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
National
Joel Moore

Notts County fraudster Russell King hides in house after being confronted

Fraudster Russell King, who left Notts County on the brink of collapse, hid away in his house after being confronted over the Munto Finance scandal.

The 62-year-old, now living near Southampton after being released from prison, refused to come out of his house to be questioned by Alice Levine for a BBC podcast.

The Beeston-born presenter aimed to talk to King as part of a BBC Radio 5 Live series titled 'Sport's Strangest Crimes: The Trillion Dollar Conman'.

Ms Levine spoke through the Ring doorbell of King, who would not admit it was him in the house and refused to come out.

The presenter, forced to put the accusations to the fraudster through the video doorbell, said: "Russell King you've ruined a lot of people's lives, this is your opportunity to put your side of the story forward.

"A lot of people would love to hear what you have to say. Mr King people have been devastated by your actions, do you feel any remorse?

"Do you ever think about Gil? Duncan Hickman's widow? You left her and her son with absolutely nothing. Do you ever think about the Notts County fans even? You took their club to the brink of oblivion. Mr King there's a lot to discuss."

After the interaction, Ms Levine told the show: "By some people's descriptions he's a criminal mastermind but he's hiding in his house, he won't even say he's Russell King. I thought he would be brave enough to come eye-to-eye with me."

The podcast, split into six parts, centres around the controversial takeover of Notts County by Munto Finance in 2009.

King lied about the firm being backed by a consortium in Bahrain, feigning connections with royalty, before leaving the club with debts topping £7 million.

The scam went as far as flying John Armstrong-Homes, then chair of the Magpies' supporters trust, out to the Middle East to strike the deal.

He told the podcast he met with what he thought were representatives of an interested consortium.

"They did the most incredible PowerPoint, how it would develop and all the plans," he said.

He then described how King gave him a bank guarantee worth £5 million.

News of former England boss Sven Goran-Eriksson becoming director of football was broken by Colin Slater, who told the podcast: "I think it was the biggest scoop I ever had at Notts County. I had a few but that was as big as it comes."

Mr Slater passed away last month.

Eriksson, who was at one point taken to North Korea as part of King's wider plans, said: "They were very positive and very optimistic. They knew how to talk and how to present an idea.

"They told me - you will have a contract for five years and you will take us to the Premier League, and we have the money to give you the players."

Later in the podcast, Ms Levine digs into the background of King, detailing how he bought toy chain Zodiac Toys 18 years earlier, before driving them into administration and disappearing.

(Nottingham Post)

He later served two years in prison for insurance fraud, and then drained Jersey-based company Belgravia Group of £670,000, using the money for lavish expenses and leaving former business partner Duncan Hickman's widow, Gill, with nothing.

Assistant to King at the time, Sarah Burns, told the podcast: "He was a horrible bully, he would have people's hair stand as he would walk through the door. He'd spend the whole day dictating, having people run around after him."

Despite news of King's jail term coming to light, the Munto Finance takeover remained in place. One Notts County fan said she and others initially "buried our heads in the sand" due to success on the pitch.

The Football League also approved the takeover, which unravelled a matter of months later.

To listen to the full podcast, visit BBC Sounds.

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