Ian Rush yesterday denied allegations that he continued the trade of a Lowestoft company after its owners were arrested for involvement in supplying boats to drug smugglers.Ian Rush, 43, told Ipswich Crown Court that while the business he set up produced the same type of high-speed craft at the same site in the town, he did nothing illegal.Rush said he had been unaware of the activities of Neil Davison and Ellen George, who ran Crompton Marine in Lowestoft and for whom he had delivered boats to Spain.HM Revenue and Customs claims that George and Davison, of Colville Road, Lowestoft, manufactured powerful boats for international drug traffickers while running a reputable boat yard at the Brook Yachts site.
George, 41, has pleaded guilty to her involvement while Davison remains on bail in Spain where he is facing drug-smuggling charges. Customs investigators, working with the auth-orities in Spain, searched George's home in Lowestoft and discovered £1.2m in cash stashed in holdalls, cupboards and under the stairs.
Yesterday, Rush, of Brand End Road, Butterwick, near Boston, denied that the arrest of Davison and George in March 2004 had been the motivation for him to start his own business, Nautexco Marine, with the aim of continuing the illegal trade.
Rush said that while he operated Nautexco Marine from the Brook Yachts site using some of the same suppliers and dealing with some of Crompton Marine's customers, he had never been involved in producing craft which he knew would be used for illegal purposes.He said Nautexco Marine had kept full records of all its financial deal-ings and a routine check by a VAT inspector had found nothing amiss.
The father-of-three told the jury it was while running his own transport firm, Rushtrans, that he carried out work for Davison at Crompton Marine but he was never involved in the running of their business.He also denied that visits he made to Spain to visit Davison in prison had been to plan continuing the work of Crompton Marine under another name.Rush has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to retain the proceeds of drug smuggling and con-spiracy to acquire criminal property.