Michelle Mone, a financial consultant accused of racism, claims he did nothing wrong except to be a victim. Mone said that the Tory peer had claimed that Mone called him a ‘wasteful white man’s skin in a WhatsApp text message.
Richard Lynton Jones, who claims Mone race abused him, is Indian-American and called Mone’s partner a “nut case bird” and a “mental loony” three weeks following a day of drinking and partying on superyachts. This ended in the tragic death of a French Riviera deckhand in 2019.
Lynton Jones (42 years old), who was previously married to Mone, called me from France and said: “I have done nothing wrong, except that I am a victim racism.” I have to bring up the fact that she was racially oriented.
“She had been mentally abusing my girlfriend at the time, now she is my ex-fiancee.
Lady Mone’s representative said that “she strongly denies being a racist, an sexist or has a lack respect for persons suffering with mental disorders genuinely.”
Mone confirmed that her messages were sent in good faith, but hasn’t confirmed their exact content. She said they were being sent out to Jake Feldwhere, a British deckhand, who was also killed in the accident.
Mone insists that the expression she used was not racist. She also stated that Lynton-Jones was 100 percent white and British. Mone asked: ‘Since what is racism in calling out a privileged entitled white man?
This horrible phrase that she used was believed to originate in South Africa, in the late 40s and early 50s. It was first used to refer to poor whites by white middle-class people in power in order to shame their race during a time of moral superiority to black South Africans.
Lynton Jones, a man believed to be his mother, is white and has a father of Indian descent. However, Lady Mone, her lawyers, told The Guardian today that this was not logical because it’s inconceivable that she could have or would made the comment. Because she didn’t know that the man “was any other than white British” since his appearance is white.
Lynton-Jones, from Ferndown in Dorset, began his career with the Queen’s bank Coutts, working in Jersey on offshore services for clients. Before joining UBS’s Monaco branch, he was vice-president at Barclays Wealth in Monaco and Jersey.
His expertise is in the work with high net worth people with at least 50,000,000 euros of investable assets. In 2018, he joined Mone and Barrowman’s new virtual currency venture which saw them launch a coin called Equi which they claimed would be the British Bitcoin. Lynton Jones was promoted to head capital raising and investor relations.
Asked yesterday why he came forward two and a half years after receiving the texts from Mone, he told me: ‘It took six months to get over that yacht crash.
‘My fiancee tried to kill herself. After years of struggle, finally we have an opportunity to speak out against people who hate us, through George Floyd, Black Lives Matter and Our Race As One. [the F1 World Championship initiative].
‘Racism has no place in this society, let alone for a member of the House of Lords who should be safeguarding the civil rights of the British population and should not go out and say “you’re a waste of a man’s white skin”. That’s disgusting.’
Mone insists that she did nothing wrong.
‘The accusations I have read today against me are full of contradictions,’ she said yesterday.
‘I will set the record straight on this defamation before deciding on any legal action. What I do know is the disgrace this man made of the young boy’s life who was lost; partying with his girlfriend on Instagram stories days after the tragedy and not responding to the police.
‘Almost three years ago, I defended a young boy who tragically lost his life. The investigation they are involved in is still ongoing. I will assist in any way that I can.’
This afternoon, Lady Mone said on social media: ‘Since when did calling out a man on his actions… his entitled white privilege constitute racism? Quite the opposite – the accusations I have read today against me are full of contradictions.’
The bust-up happened after Mr Lynton-Jones was among guests on a superyacht who met up with Lady Mone and her businessman husband Douglas Barrowman who were with friends and relatives on his 88ft yacht called Minx.
MailOnline can reveal that the two groups, totalling 18 people, motored out in their respective boats to enjoy a lunch at a restaurant on an island called Île Sainte-Marguerite, near Cannes, leaving their respective crews on board.
They later rafted their boats together so they could continue the fun day out on the water, hopping on and off each other’s boats, before deciding to return to shore in the early evening when it was still daylight after more than five hours of partying.
The French skipper of the second superyacht called Vision which was chartered by British internet gaming millionaire Richard Skelhorn, accidentally ploughed into Mr Barrowman’s boat as he was turning round to head for home. An MAIB investigation found the skipper had cannabis in his bloodstream.
Jake Feldwhere was on the foredeck of the Minx preparing to lift the anchor when he was struck and killed in the collision on the evening of May 25, 2019, which was the last day of the Cannes film festival.
Lady Mone also addressed the death of Mr Feldwhere in her post today, saying: Before I take any legal action, I will clear the air on this matter. But I am aware of the shame this man caused to the life of the little boy who died because of the super yacht on which he was drinking.
Ex-lingerie mogul, 50 years old, is alleged to have spoken out about her husband’s ex employee (pictured) in a WhatsApp text message almost three weeks after their tragic day on the French Riviera. The Guardian also saw an alleged exchange in which she claimed that she called her husband’s former employee, Richard Lynton-Jones, a nut case bird and mental loony.
Michelle Mone (Conservative Peer) took to Instagram today to refute claims she is racist. Mone allegedly sent an insensitive message to a Indian man after a day of partying on two superyachts that ended with the death of a deckhand.
Lynton Jones, a man believed to have had a father of Indian descent and a mother with white parents, but Lady Mone, her lawyers, told The Guardian today that this was not logical. She had no knowledge that Lynton Jones, a 100% white British male, sounded racially. His appearance, however, is completely white.
Lady Moon stated this afternoon on social media that “calling out a male on his actions…and the entitled white privilege constitute racism.” It’s quite the contrary. The accusations against me that I read today are filled with contradictions.
Crewman Jake Feldwhere (pictured), 27, was on the foredeck of an 88ft-long Minx preparing to lift the anchor when he was struck and killed off the coast of Île Sainte-Marguerite in 2019
French superyacht Vision’s skipper, who was chartered in Britain by Richard Skelhorn, was accidentally pushed into Barrowman’s boat while he was heading for home. MAIB investigations revealed that the skipper had marijuana in his bloodstream.
According to reports, the bust up between Lady Mone and Mr Lynton Jones took place in a WhatsApp group chat on June 13, 2019. She allegedly asked her partner how much he had been affected by the accident.
Mr Lynton Jones who is believed to have a mother of Indian heritage and a white father, and works in Monaco as a financial consultant, replied that his partner had been seriously traumatised by the yacht incident, saying: ‘I would prefer you back the f**k off’.
The Guardian has taken screenshots of Lady Mone and they claim that she replied, “OMG! What a bunch of crap!” I am talking to you, an intelligent, brilliant individual who isn’t taken in by your crap!
“In reality, my bullshit detector had been on you since day 1. You & your mental loony of a girlfriend have been parting [sic]You’re crazy! … You need to get a grip and have respect for a guy that was killed!!!
“Funny, your crazy girlfriend deleted all of my photos. I still have the screenshots. 48 hours had passed since the death of your boyfriend. You [sic]Low life = a waste of time [sic]White skin is not a lie, so we won’t believe you. You are the best! [sic] a total disgrace.’
After Mr Lynton Jones, 42, had been among the guests of a superyacht that met Lady Mone with her husband Douglas Barrowman, a businessman, and were on their 88ft yacht Minx, they broke up.
It is reported that she added, “Now, you deal with all the police inquiries, including those regarding your nut case bird.”
He replied, “A wast of white men’s skin?” Michelle, did you know you were a racist? Five minutes later, Lady Mone apparently wrote back: [sic]block and report your mental matter to the police station.
Martin Jelley is reported to have received a complaint from Mr Lynton-Jones in August about the alleged messages. It claimed that they had been ‘derogatory’ and ‘racist’ towards him, and also ‘abusive’ and ‘derogatory’ toward his partner’s mental well-being.
However, the Commissioner declined to investigate as the messages were not received during Lady Mone’s legislative duties.
This week, her lawyers issued a statement stating that she had lost access to the messages and did not have ‘detailed memories’.
The UK’s Marine Accidents Investigation Branch published a report on the accident in January. It revealed that the superyacht passengers had been enjoying a day before the disaster.
The report said that the Vision had left Monaco at noon and ‘proceeded to Île Sainte-Marguerite near Cannes, France, anchoring there about an hour later’.
Douglas Barrowman (Lawyers for the House of Lords) is shown with his wife. She said that she doesn’t have a ‘detailed’ memory or access to the messages, and also denied being racially motivated.
Following the crash off Monaco in May 2019, the Minx, a superyacht measuring 88 feet long sustained severe damage.
Michelle Mone, celebrating her 50th birthday last month.
The boat continued: “After anchoring, Vision’s passengers were taken to shore for drinks and dinner. The motor yacht Minx left Antibes’ marina berth and proceeded to Villefranche-sur-Mer, where its owner, along with eight of his family members, was waiting by tender.
What ‘Baroness Bra” did to make her rich
Michelle Mone, lingerie mogul and model turned entrepreneur was born in 1971. She grew up in Glasgow’s East End.
After managing a sales team at Labatt’s brewery, she came up with the idea of creating a variety of support bras.
Lady Mone, her husband Michael Mone, founded MJM International in November 1996. After three years of development, research and design, the patent-pending Ultimo bra was created.
Ultimo was launched at Selfridges in London on August 29, 1999. It was a month after she had her third child.
She was instrumental in accelerating the business’ growth and received an OBE award from Queen Elizabeth II for her services to it.
She sold 80 percent of Ultimo after she announced that she was leaving the company in 2014.
Lady Mone, who was elevated to the House of Lords as Baroness Bra in 2015, earned the nickname “Baroness Bra”. Her official title is Baroness Mone of Mayfair.
To celebrate her 50th birthday last month, she decided to host five parties – one for each decade of her life – with her new husband billionaire tech tycoon Doug Barrowman, 55.
Last November, the couple were married at their Isle of Man home in a glamorous but casual ceremony.
Lady Mone also enjoyed a successful career in public speaking, but she called it quits last month because she needed to focus on her family’s needs and the new ventures.
‘Minx then headed to join Vision at Île Sainte-Marguerite, arriving about 1430. All the guests on both yachts had arrived at the restaurant by 1500. Both crews continued to board the yachts.
“During the meal the guests decided to go back to the boat and continue the celebration. Vision’s charterer called Minx’s skipper to ask him to join Minx on the rafting trip. Vision’s skipper reached out to Minx’s skipper, discussed the plan and then released more anchor chains and maneuvered Minx’s yacht.
Everyone was onboard by 1830 and drinking continued along with many of Vision’s friends. Vision’s skipper did, as encouraged by guests, a daring dive into the ocean from the flybridge during the party.
“Around 2030 Vision’s crew began to prepare to return to Monaco so that the guests
We were all asked by the captain to get back on our yachts. There was good visibility, clear air and calm water.
Reports stated that Vision had left Monaco to head back to Monaco by daylight. Later, it became clear that Minx’s guest had left a cell phone at Vision. The vessel returned to Minx so it could be recovered.
The report stated that Vision’s French skipper drove about 750m, then turned around to accelerate as he attempted to maneuver fast close by the Minx.
While speeding up, the boat of 78 tonnes began to plan. The propellers on its twin engines were creating water spray from the Minx’s nose.
However, the speed of the boat meant that the French skipper at 42 tried to steer the vessel to port. The Vision collided with Minx’s bow and hit Mr Feldware. This was his first day at sea. His head injury caused him to instantly die.
The impact threw most of the Minx’s crew and guests to the deck, and many suffered minor injuries.
French rescue services and maritime police were quick to respond to the accident scene. Police escorted both yachts to Cannes marina berths later that evening.
According to some reports, Mr Lynton Jones worked briefly for Mr Barrowman’s company. He was also known by Mr Skelhorn at that time who was in Monaco.
According to reports, a Lady Mone representative initially told The Guardian that this week’s Guardian: “Baroness Mone was 100% not racist.” Over 15 African schools have been built by Baroness Mone’s husband in just three years.
Later, Lady Mone’s lawyers provided another statement in the form of a statement that stated Lady Mone had no access to the messages or a detailed memory.
According to the statement, “She’s not willing to comment on these messages until they are authenticated but Baroness Mone strongly denied that she was a racist or sexist and that she lacks respect for people who have real mental illness.”
The complainant was described as ‘white British’, and her appearance is 100% white with an English accent.
The lawyers of her client also raised questions about the motivations of the complainant. They expressed doubts regarding the authenticity and suggested that the messages were written in a maniacal manner, more in line with someone who has coherency problems than from an articulate and well-educated Baroness.
They also wrote separately to each other, stating that she thought the complainant had “no trace whatsoever non-white colouring” or any features that might suggest he is not “100% white and British”.
Lady Mone, who co-founded the Ultimo bra empire along with her husband, was elected to the House of Lords in 2015. This came one year after she sold an 80% share in her company.
Later, she headed an evaluation of government policies on entrepreneurship.
Michelle Mone (crash damage) and Douglas Barrowman own Minx
MAIB reported that Vision’s skipper had underestimated risks involved in close passes.
“Blood samples taken the day following the accident showed that Vision’s skipper had been under the influence cannabis. This was most likely to have affected his judgment.”
Although the skipper had a Royal Yachting Association Yachtmaster Certificate to operate powered boats and was certified by them, he hadn’t taken a course in Professional Practices & Responsibility as required by Small Commercial Vessel Rules.
It was reported that Vision’s skipper made an unwise, fast, and dangerous pass. He then lost control after turning straight towards Minx.
Minx’s crewman, who was on the foredeck of the ship and couldn’t do anything to prevent being hit by the impact force, was instantly killed.
Motor yacht skippers are professional seafarers working in commercial environments. They have an obligation to care for guests, vessels, crew, and other users of water.
Owners and charterers of motor yachts are often on vacation. They want to have fun, party and relax. But they may also be looking to get entertained by being out at sea.
Motor yacht skipper and crew should maintain complete control over their yachts and avoid getting caught up in the fun atmosphere.
It was also stated that cannabis can cause significant impairments in the execution of task-related tasks.
Minx and Vision, superyachts that were built in Cannes prior to the crash are shown together.
According to the study, cannabis consumption can have similar effects as alcohol.
The tragedy occurred four weeks ago in southern France. Mr Feldware, a West Sussex resident, arrived there having only completed basic boat training.
After arriving in Monaco Port, he posted a smiley selfie to social media and wrote: “Only gone. Made it to Monaco. Let the adventure commence!
Hours before his death, he posted more pictures on Instagram of the Cannes shoreline from Île Sainte-Marguerite, a notorious spot for yacht parties, with the caption: ‘Not a bad day to be out on the sea. #Cannes #LoveIt.’
Lady Mone sold Ultimo, her lingerie business, to David Cameron and was then sworn into the House of Lords as a life peer in 2015.
Simon Sloane was a spokesperson for Mr Skelhorn and stated that his primary concern had been and will continue to be Mr Feldwhere’s family and friends. We would like, again, to express our deepest sorrow at their loss.
The MAIB Report into the Collision contained several factual mistakes alleging wrong-doing on the part of Vision’s owners and charterer.
These allegations had no basis, particularly that Vision or anyone else onboard urged Vision to execute any maneuvers immediately prior to the collision.
“Following a thorough police investigation by maritime gendarmes and an adhoc court-appointed surveyor, criminal proceedings were initiated against the captain and crew of Vision in France. The owner, charterer and any other individuals on board Vision were not prosecuted.
French Prosecutor has officially recognized this and has made public statements that they have no reason to prosecute any other person.
“Unfortunately the MAIB seems to have been taken into by mischief making and published their report.”