Brent Walker
Brent Walker was a UK company which owned various businesses including property, gambling, distilled beverages and pubs. It was founded by George Walker,[1] the brother of the boxer, Billy Walker.[2]
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George Walker [edit]
Born in London, George Walker career began as a porter at Billingsgate Fish Market. Like his brother, Walker became a boxer of the 1950s.
Foundations [edit]
During his career, Walker bought Dolly's nightclub in London. In 1969 he bought a greyhound racing track, which formed the core of Brent Walker.
Operations [edit]
Walker bought a derelict piece of land, which he developed into Brent Cross shopping centre, the core of Brent Walkers operation. The business expanded to include the William Hill betting shop chain, tenanted pub company Pubmaster, film opticals company Camera Effects and property that included the London Trocadero. In 1988, the company purchased the distilled beverage company Whyte & Mackay.
Collapse [edit]
A collapse in property prices and high interest rates in the late 1980s led the Brent Walker empire to collapse in 1991, with debts of £1.2bn.
Serious fraud trial [edit]
In 1994, the Serious Fraud Office brought a case against George Walker and Brent Walker's former finance director Wilfred Aquilina, accusing them of inflating profits at the film division by £19.3m in an effort to lure investors. After a four and a half month trial costing an estimated £40m, Walker was cleared of all charges, while Aquilina was convicted of false accounting, sentenced to 18 months imprisonment suspended for two years, and fined £25,000.[3]
References [edit]
- ^ Obituary: George Walker, Daily Telegraph, 25 March 2011
- ^ Daniel Miller, Shopping, place, and identity
- ^ "Litany of expensive fraud trials". BBC News. 21 June 2005.
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