An "obsessed" US businessman has been jailed for six years in London for hiring Irishmen, dubbed the Three Micks, to murder his former associates.
Hans Johnston (72) was facing bankruptcy and wanted revenge after losing control of his company in court actions. He was ordered to pay $1.6 million costs and faced a further $26 million claim, said Mr John Kelsey-Fry, prosecuting.
Both his former partner, Mr Miklos Vendel, a Swiss national, and a director, Ms Margaritha Werren, were due to give evidence against him in those proceedings.
Johnston believed he would face further accusations about his personal life and the case would be heard by a biased judge.
"He resorted to a radical solution," said the prosecution, he decided to have them killed, but made the mistake of writing a confession of what he had done in advance." The murder plot was not carried out.
Johnston, from Stamford, Connecticut, had denied soliciting Mr Louis Keats to murder the pair between November 1997 and April 1998. He was convicted unanimously by the jury yesterday.
Keats introduced Johnston to a group of men, "said to be part of an organisation based in Dublin", known as the Three Micks.
Johnston flew to Ireland using a false name. The initial contract agreed was £100,000, and half was delivered in cash.
Johnston decided he did not just want them killed, but interrogated in an attempt to get access to funds. It was agreed the Irishmen should share some of any proceeds, but Johnston feared a double-cross.
"Because of that he then made a fatal error. He decided to write down what he had done - a confession - put it in a sealed envelope and give it to a friend for safe keeping," said Mr Kelsey-Fry.
In it, he accused the pair of manufacturing evidence which had caused him massive losses.