Laurie Connell

Infobox Criminal
subject_name = Laurie Connell


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date_of_birth = 1946
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date_of_death = 27 February, 1996
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alias =
charge =
conviction = Perverting the course of justice
penalty = 5 years imprisonment
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occupation =
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Laurie Connell (1946 - 27 February, 1996) was a Western Australian business entrepreneur who was jailed in 1994 for conspiring to pervert the course of justice by paying a jockey to leave the country.cite web
url = http://www.smh.com.au/ftimages/2005/04/14/1113251725600.html
title = Businessmen behaving badly
publisher = Sydney Morning Herald
date = 2005-04-14
accessdate = 2007-07-26 ]

Laurie Connell was well known for his dealings with the Government of Western Australia and his close relationship with the then Premier of Western Australia, Brian Burke during the WA Inc period in the mid to late 1980's.

Danny Hobby

At the January 1983 "AHA Cup" in Bunbury, jockey Danny Hobby jumped from his mount "Strike Softly". Hobby later claimed he jumped after accepting a bribe of $5,000 to do so from Connell.

Almost a decade later, it was alleged that Hobby was paid over $1 million by Connell to travel around the world for several years to avoid returning to Australia. Ultimately Hobby did return. Connell was tried and sentenced to five years jail conspiracy to pervert the course of justice during the investigation into the horse race. He was however found not guilty of fixing the horse race. Connell served one year before being released on work release. Hobby received a three year jail term.

Rocket Racer

In the 1987 two-mile Perth Cup, Connell's horse "Rocket Racer" ridden by jockey J. J. Miller won the race by nine lengths and couldn't be pulled up, doing nearly another lap of the course. Connell had backed the horse at long odds down to a 2/1 favourite and was believed to have collected $500,000 from bookmakers for the win. The horse's performance and subsequent collapse and death a few weeks later was never fully investigated or explained although it is generally assumed that it had been injected with etorphine ("elephant juice"). [cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/thetrack/ep5trans.htm|title="The Track" (transcript) Episode five: "Follow the Money"|work=ABC Television|date=August, 2000|accessdate=2007-11-18]

Rothwells

During the 1980s Connell started acquiring numerous local businesses through aggressive takeovers before setting himself up deposit taker for investors under the name of Rothwells Merchant Bank. Immediately after the 1987 stock market crash, there was a run on the bank from local investors. Connell put together a rescue package involving numerous Australian businessmen and approached the Premier, Brian Burke who provided a $150m government guarantee to provide short term relief.

Rothwells ultimately went into liquidation, causing heavy losses to the government and Rothwells investors.

The political fallout from the collapse as well as other government dealings in the period prompted Premier Carmen Lawrence to call for an enquiry in November 1990. The enquiry became known as the WA Inc royal commission.

References