A solicitor at the heart of the fraudulent sale of a Scottish castle has been jailed for 12 years.
Stephen Jones, a London lawyer for more than 35 years, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud in a deal for Taymouth Castle, where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed shortly after they were married.
Jones effectively ensured that the US property developer that planned to buy the 16th- century structure, near Kenmore in the Highlands, paid twice, while he pocketed the difference.
Jones was initially jailed for 14 months in 2019 when he was found in contempt of court over failing to explain what had happened to more than £10m that had gone missing in the property deal. Investigators and prosecutors decided not to bring the case to court. As a result, the buyer, Discovery Land Company, was forced to initiate a private prosecution.
