Co-defendant of Mike Lynch Murdered in Car Accident Days Before Superyacht Sinking
Stephen Chamberlain was involved in a tragic accident when he was struck by a car while running, shortly after his co-defendant in a major U.S. fraud trial related to the sale of IT firm Autonomy, Mike Lynch, went missing at sea in Sicily.
The co-accused in the fraud trial with Lynch was fatally injured in a car accident while out running in Cambridgeshire on a Saturday.
Chamberlain, who was acquitted earlier this year along with Lynch of 15 charges of fraud and conspiracy in connection with the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011, lost his life in the accident.
The confirmed 59-year-old Lynch is one of the six tourists currently missing after the luxury yacht they were on sank off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday.
Authorities are seeking witnesses following a pedestrian-car collision on the A1123 Newmarket Road in Stretham on Saturday at around 10:10 a.m.
Appeal for Witnesses to Collision
The driver of the car, a 49-year-old woman, remained at the scene and is assisting with the investigation, according to Cambridgeshire Police.
Cambridgeshire Police identified the pedestrian as 52-year-old Stephen Chamberlain from Station Road, Longstanton, Cambridgeshire, who succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
Chamberlain’s attorney, Gary Lindenberg, described him as “a beloved client and friend.”
“He was a brave man with exceptional integrity. He is sorely missed,” Lindenberg said.
The Chamberlain family paid tribute to him, expressing, “Steve was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend,” adding that he always sought to assist others in any way possible.
“He left a lasting impact on everyone fortunate enough to know him,” the family stated, concluding that he will be deeply missed but forever cherished by his loved ones.
Acquitted of Multiple Charges
Chamberlain and Lynch were acquitted on all accusations in June following a trial at a federal court in San Francisco, California.
HP bought Autonomy, founded by Lynch in 1996, for $11 billion in 2011, but later discovered its true value was $2.2 billion, prompting them to request a U.S. Justice Department investigation into fraud allegations.
Chamberlain, the company’s former vice president of finance, was also accused of providing false and misleading information to auditors, analysts, and regulators in 2018 in addition to charges related to the company’s sale.
After a lengthy legal dispute and support from numerous MPs, including Sir David Davis, Lynch was extradited to the United States for trial.
A yacht named Bayesian carrying Lynch and others capsized off the coast of Palermo on Monday morning during a storm, resulting in several missing passengers including Lynch’s daughter.
Lynch’s Daughter, 18, Among the Missing
According to Italian media, four of the missing individuals are British, two are American, and Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah is believed to be among the missing.
Fifteen individuals, including Lynch’s wife, were rescued, and one crew member’s body was found.
Clifford Chance lawyers, who assisted in Lynch’s acquittal after a 12-year legal battle, were aboard the yacht during the incident.
Lynch, who holds a Cambridge University PhD in artificial neural networks, earned the nickname “Britain’s Bill Gates” and was a key figure in the “Silicon Fen” tech hub in Cambridge.
He made around £800 million from Autonomy’s sale, which led to several legal actions. While no charges were filed by the Serious Fraud Office in the UK, elements of the investigation were transferred to U.S. authorities.
In 2018, Autonomy’s ex-finance chief was convicted of fraud in the U.S. and sentenced to five years in prison.
The search for the missing individuals off the coast of Sicily is set to resume on Tuesday.
PA Media and Chris Summers contributed to this report
