A former business partner of the Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley faced further humiliation yesterday when he was ordered to pay £633,000 for his role in one of the retail industry’s most notorious frauds.
Chris Ronnie, the former chief executive of JJB Sports, was sentenced to four years in prison in December 2014 for taking up to £1 million in bribes.
Southwark crown court said yesterday that he should pay the money within three months or face another five years in jail. He is due to be released next December.
Ronnie was one of a group of business people who aimed to make a fortune from the growth in the market for cheap leisurewear. Mr Ashley, a friend and mentor, has been the most successful,