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Keane not guilty of £2.3m fraud | Keane not guilty of £2.3m fraud |
(30 minutes later) | |
The former Livingston Football Club chairman Dominic Keane has been found not guilty of a £2.3m fraud scheme. | The former Livingston Football Club chairman Dominic Keane has been found not guilty of a £2.3m fraud scheme. |
Mr Keane, who also sat on the Celtic FC board in the 1990s, denied tricking two men into signing a multi-million pound loan refinancing deal at Livingston. | Mr Keane, who also sat on the Celtic FC board in the 1990s, denied tricking two men into signing a multi-million pound loan refinancing deal at Livingston. |
Jurors at the High Court in Edinburgh were told the matter rested on whether it was proved signatures on the loan agreement were forged. | Jurors at the High Court in Edinburgh were told the matter rested on whether it was proved signatures on the loan agreement were forged. |
They found the 56-year-old not guilty by majority verdict after 40 minutes. | They found the 56-year-old not guilty by majority verdict after 40 minutes. |
Mr Keane had been accused of duping ex-Celtic director William Haughey, with whom he sat on the board, and lottery winner John McGuinness into signing up for the deal. | |
During the trial, Mr McGuinness told the court that it had cost him about £3m and that his winnings were now gone. | |
The court also heard from Mr Haughey who said he had no recollection of signing the loan agreement. | |
'A nightmare' | |
Before the jury of 12 men and three women retired to consider their verdict in the case, advocate-depute Alastair Brown told the court that "the fundamental issue" was whether lottery winner John McGuinness and Mr Haughey had signed up for the deal. | |
Mr Keane had insisted that all three men were present to sign the documentation at Hampden Stadium on 14 April, 2001. | |
When the jury returned their not guilty verdict, Mr Keane shouted "yes". | |
Outside court he said: "This has been a nightmare for the last four years and now it's all over. | |
"And honestly I just want to go home and be with my family." | |
He refused to comment on his feelings towards Mr Haughey, who had given evidence against him. | |
Ruling out a return to football, he added: "I'm going to enjoy the rest of my life. It's been four years this has been going on for now and it's taken its toll." |
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