Paul Flowers: Disgraced former Co-op Bank boss jailed for three years for fraud

The disgraced former chair of the Co-op Bank, Paul Flowers, has been jailed for three years on fraud charges.

The 74-year old, who was forced out of the lender in 2013 amid claims of inappropriate expenses and illegal drugs allegations, admitted 18 counts of fraud worth nearly £100,000.

Flowers, also a former Methodist minister, committed the offences against an elderly and vulnerable friend as executor of her will.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Margaret Jarvis trusted him because of his high profile public roles but he went on to plunder the cash to spend on drugs, holidays and gifts for himself once dementia took hold.

He continued to drain her funds following the spinster's death in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, in 2016.

Flowers had previously made headlines for the wrong reasons after his three-year oversight tenure at the bank came under scrutiny in the wake of its 2017 rescue by US hedge funds.

He was later banned from the financial services industry by the City watchdog.

Flowers was fined £400 in 2014 after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine, ketamine and crystal meth - leading him to being dubbed "the Crystal Methodist" in the press.

He missed a previous sentencing hearing on the fraud charges a fortnight ago and handed himself in after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Passing sentence Judge Nicholas Dean KC, Recorder of Manchester, said: "This is a story of betrayal, no less than that.

"Betrayal by you of an old friend, someone who trusted you, who had every reason to believe she could trust you.

"In truth, you knew all along she could not, because of your own weaknesses and failings."

Detective Constable Kate Riley, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "Flowers completely abused his position as a will executor and as a friend, fraudulently taking tens of thousands of pounds that he simply was not entitled to.

"The money should have been going to good causes, but instead went to satisfying Flowers' indulgent lifestyle of holidays, cruises, and expensive food and wine.

"He and his victim had worked together on charitable projects, so he was fully aware of the importance of charitable gifts in her will.

"This self-serving behaviour has now rightly been punished, and Flowers has time behind bars to think about his deceitful actions."

(c) Sky News 2025: Paul Flowers: Disgraced former Co-op Bank boss jailed for three years for fraud