Autonomy fraud co-defendant dies in crash before Mike Lynch went missing
Stephen Chamberlain struck by car; Mike Lynch among missing after yacht sinks
Mike Lynch’s co-defendant in a recent US fraud trial passed away following a road accident a few days before Mr Lynch went missing. Stephen Chamberlain, the former vice president of Autonomy, was struck by a car while running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday morning, according to his lawyer. Chamberlain faced identical fraud and conspiracy charges as Lynch. They were both accused of inflating Autonomy’s value before its 2011 sale to Hewlett-Packard (HP).
The trial ended in June, with a San Francisco jury acquitting both men of all 15 charges. Chamberlain’s lawyer, Gary Lincenberg, expressed his sorrow, describing Chamberlain as a “dear client and friend” and confirming he died after being “fatally struck” by a car in Stretham.
Cambridgeshire police had appealed for witnesses over the weekend after a man in his 50s was hospitalised with serious injuries. Meanwhile, the search continues for Mr Lynch, 59, after his UK-flagged superyacht, Bayesian, sank. One person has been confirmed dead, and Lynch is among six people still missing. Local reports indicate his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, is also missing. However, his wife, Angela Bacares, was rescued along with 14 others after the yacht capsized early Monday morning.
A British multimillionaire and a major banker have gone missing off the coast of Sicily
Co-founder of software solutions company Autonomy, UK multimillionaire Mike Lynch has gone missing after the wreck of the Bayesian yacht off the coast of Sicily. There were 22 people on board… pic.twitter.com/o9m5PDcGUO
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 20, 2024
Chamberlain left Autonomy in 2012, later serving as chief operating officer for Darktrace, a cybersecurity firm. His LinkedIn profile also notes his volunteer work as a finance director for Cambridge United. Autonomy’s sale was the largest tech takeover of a FTSE 100 firm at the time, but HP wrote down the company’s value by £5.5 billion within a year, alleging inflated revenue streams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
What happened to Mike Lynch’s co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain?
Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car while running in Cambridgeshire.
What charges were Mike Lynch and Stephen Chamberlain facing?
They were facing charges of fraud and conspiracy related to inflating Autonomy’s value before its sale to HP.
What happened to Mike Lynch’s yacht?
Mike Lynch’s yacht sank off Sicily during a storm, and he is among six missing people.
Were Mike Lynch and Stephen Chamberlain acquitted of the charges?
Yes, they were acquitted of all 15 charges by a jury in San Francisco in June.
Who was rescued from Mike Lynch’s yacht?
Mike Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 people rescued.
