Personal Compensation Wales

Supporters bitter after losing bid for Wrexham club

THE Wrexham Supporters’ Trust expressed “bitter disappointment” yesterday after rival bidder Jon Harris was named new owner of the football club.

Former owners Geoff Moss and Ian Roberts said they had sold to Wrexham’s commercial director Harris because his offer was in the best interests of the club.

Mr Moss and Mr Roberts accepted they will now come in for criticism for turning down the trust’s bid, but suggested they were unconvinced the group had the “financial ability to fund the club’s operations”.

They also questioned the trust’s experience of “running a professional football club”.

Harris is backed financially by businessman Colin Poole – a controversial figure whose interest in Wrexham sparked opposition from fans the moment he announced it.

Former solicitor Mr Poole’s insurance firm Claims Direct collapsed with losses of £200m – although he denies the figure is as high – and he is banned from becoming a company director until 2018.

When it was revealed that Claims Direct’s successful clients received little of their compensation because they had to pay a massive insurance premium out of their winnings its shares plummeted before it went into administrative receivership in 2002.

Mr Poole was also struck off the solicitors’ roll over the scandal as recently as last Thursday.

A solicitors’ disciplinary tribunal heard he had acted “in a deceitful way” as well as “dishonestly or recklessly”.

Mr Poole has previously told the Western Mail’s sister paper Wales on Sunday that Claims Direct had £20m in the bank when he left the firm.

Trust chairman Richard Owen said their bid was backed by fans and local politicians, who believed it would have safeguarded the club’s Racecourse ground and Colliers Park training facilities.

He said since 1992 up to 50 clubs in the top five divisions of the English League system have lost their stadiums to holding companies and developers or have been forced to sell or been evicted.

Mr Owen said: “We are bitterly disappointed that it appears that the community of Wrexham and North Wales will not have an opportunity to acquire Wrexham FC, Colliers Park and the Racecourse Ground.

“The future of the Racecourse as a venue will be paramount to every Wrexham and Wales fan across the country.

Car Crash Victim Wins £4.25M Accident Compensation | Injuries Direct

A young woman from the south east of Wales, who was involved in a car accident involving a drink driver, has been awarded over £4 million in compensation.

Rhiannon Millett, of Tredegar, Blaenau in Gwent was just a six year old child at the time of the accident, in which she suffered a life changing brain injury.

Ms. Millet, who is now twenty one, was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her mother’s partner, when it was involved in a head on collision with a Land Rover, which was travelling on the wrong side of the road.

Her mother Alison Kearney helped Rhiannon launch a car accident compensation claim against the drink driver’s insurance company, for injuries that have left her permanently disabled and unable to live an independent lifestyle.

At London’s High Court, the insurers admitted liability and Rhiannon was awarded compensation which could exceed £4 million, this will be made up by an initial payment of £1 million, followed by annual tax free payments of £52,500 for the rest of Rhiannon’s life.

The driver of the Land Rover was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, while over the legal drink drive limit, back in 1997.

Compensation Culture, Third Report of Session 2005-06

APAIS, Australian public affairs information service, a subject index to current literature

Workers compensation (New South Wales)

Australian national bibliography

Journal of the Society of Arts