THE TRAGIC STORY OF A FAILED BUSINESSMAN, WHO WAS

THE TRAGIC STORY OF A FAILED BUSINESSMAN, WHO WAS PREPARED TO

DIE TO GET REVENGE ON THE BANK HE HATED, TOUCHED A JUDGE’S HEART

ON MONDAY.

HE ALLOWED EMIL MOLNAR, 54, TO WALK TO FREEDOM EVEN THOUGH HE

HAD ARMED HIMSELF WITH A GUN, A GRENADE AND PETROL BOMBS IN AN

ATTEMPT TO FORCE LLOYDS BANK TO PAY HIM #68,000

FOR TEN YEARS THE ‘ BRILLIANT’ ENGINEER HAD LIVED WITH THE

MISERY AND HEARTBREAK THAT FOLLOWED THE BANK’S DECISION TO CALL IN A

LOAN.

HIS BUSINESS COLLAPSED AND HE WAS MADE HOMELESS AND BANKRUPT.

TWO MARRIAGES BROKE UP WITH HIS WIVES WALKING OUT IN PROTEST

AT BEING LEFT ALONE AS HE DESPERATELY WORKED LONG HOURS TO TRY AND

GET BACK ON HIS FEET.

BUT IT WAS TO NO AVAIL.

LAST AUGUST, AFTER YEARS OF ANGUISH,

HE DECIDED TO GET HIS OWN BACK ON THE BANK.

WEARING A WIG AND ARMED WITH TWO PETROL BOMBS, AN IMITATION

GUN, A KNIFE, HANDCUFFS AND AN IMITATION GRENADE, HE WALKED INTO THE

MANAGERS OFFICE OF LLOYDS BANK IN OXFORD STREET, CENTRAL LONDON.

‘IT IS PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME A ROBBER HAS GONE INTO A BANK

EXPECTING TO BE KILLED.

HE HAD A LETTER IN HIS POCKET ASKING FOR HIS

ORGANS TO BE DETONATED TO MEDICINE,’ SAID MR.

HOWARD SHAW DEFENDING.

THE OLD BAILEY HEARD THAT HE HAD PLANNED HIS REVENGE FOR

THREE WEEKS.

HE HAD ARRANGED AN INTERVIEW WITH THE MANAGER USING A

FALSE NAME.

HE THOUGHT IF HE WAS SHOT HIS FAMILY WOULD BE PAID

#160,000 IN LIFE ASSURANCE MONEY.

IF HE SUCEEDED HE WOULD HAVE

ENOUGH MONEY TO START AGAIN.

BUT AS SOON AS HE SAW THE SHOCKED, SICK EXPRESSION ON THE

MANAGER’S FACE HIS TRUE CHARACTER CAME OUT.

HE HELPED THE MAN INTO

HIS SEAT AND ALLOWED HIM TO USE THE TELEPHONE.

THE MANAGER CONTACTED A COLEAGUE AND POLICE WERE ALERTED,

WHILE MOLNAR JUST STOOD IN THE BANK WAITING TO BE ARRESTED.

MOLNAR OF SCOTS HILL COTTAGE, WARE, HERTS.

, WHO PLEADED GUILTY

TO BLACKMAIL ON AUGUST 19 THIS YEAR, WAS PLACED ON ON PROBATION FOR

TWO YEARS.

JUDGE CAPSTICK QC HAD HEARD THAT MOLNAR CAME TO THIS COUNTRY

AFTER THE HUNGARIAN REVOLUTION HAD BEEN ENDED BY RUSSIAN TANKS.

HE WENT TO CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY AND THEN TOOK SEVERAL WELL

PAID JOBS AS AN ENGINEER.

HE LIVED FRUGALLY SAVING EVERY PENNY HE HAD

TO FULFILL HIS DREAM OF STARTING UP HIS OWN COMPANY.

IN 1973 HIS AMBITION CAME TRUE AND HE BEGAN A COMPANY IN

YORKSHIRE.

LLOYDS BANK, IN PARLIAMENT SQUARE, YORK, AGREED TO

ASSIST HIM AND AT FIRST THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL.

BUT DUE TO THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE THEY HAD A SUDDEN CHANGE OF

POLICY AND CALLED IN THE #35,000 HE OWED THEM BEFORE THE BUSINESS

HAD EVEN PROPERLY STARTED UP, SAID COUNSEL.

.

IN DESPERATION HE RANG THE CHAIRMAIN OF THE BANK AND THOUGHT

HE HAD GOT A REPRIEVE.

THE BANK TOLD HIM IF PUT #10,000 DOWN AGAINST

THE LOAN THEY WOULD RECONSIDER HIS POSITION.

MOLNAR SOLD HIS HOUSE TO RAISE THE CASH.

THE BANK AGREED TO

CHANGE HIS LOAN TO A MORTGAGE.

BUT FORTY EIGHT HOURS LATER THE BANK

CHANGED THEIR MIND AND MOLNAR WAS LEFT WITH NO CAPITAL AND HOMELESS,

CONTINUED COUNSEL.

.

HE WAS UNABLE TO PAY THE PEOPLE WHO HAD SUPPLIED THE MACHINERY

FOR THE BUSINESS AND WAS PUT INTO BANKRUPTCY.

THE FINANCIAL RESTRICTIONS OF THE BANKRUPTCY ORDER MADE IT

VERY DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO START UP AGAIN.

BUT HE SET UP ANOTHER

BUSINESS IN HODDESON, HERTS.

.

BUT IN SPITE OF WORKING 16 HOURS A DAY

SEVEN DAYS A WEEK THE PROFITS WERE SMALL.

HE LIVED WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE BANK’S DECISION EVERY

MINUTE OF THE DAY.

FINALLY HE CRACKED WHEN HIS SECOND WIFE LEFT HIM BECAUSE OF

LONG HOURS HE WORKED WITH SUCH LITTLE RETURN.

‘HE CAME HERE BELIEVING IN BRITISH FAIR PLAY.

HE THOUGHT IT

WAS INCONCEIVABLE THAT A BANK COULD BE INVOLVED IN ANYTHING LIKE

THIS,’ SAID COUNSEL.

DETECTIVE INSPECTOR JACKIE MOLTON TOLD THE JUDGE THAT IT

WAS HIGHLY UNLIKELY HE WOULD BREAK THE LAW AGAIN.

‘HE IS A VERY NICE ARTICULATE MAN WHO REACHED BREAKING POINT.

.

I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH A PERSON FROM LLOYDS BANK AND HE SAID THAT

HE EMPATHISED WITH MOLNAR,’ SHE SAID.

THE JUDGE, WHO HAD HEARD GLOWING TRIBUTES ABOUT HOW ‘HONEST

AND TRUSTING’ MOLNAR IS, SAID: ‘WHEN I CAME INTO COURT I HAD

CONCLUDED THAT MY DUTY WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO LET YOU LEAVE A FREE

MAN.

‘BUT I AM PREPARED TO TREAT THIS CASE AS UNIQUE.

DUE TO THE

EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.

I AM PREPARED TO TAKE AN EXTRAORDINARY

COURSE.

‘

ENDS