Boxing tycoon suffers blow over henchman's drugs link

Aug 17 2008 By Charles Lavery

BOXING tycoon Barry Hughes' sinking reputation has suffered another body blow after his conviction for carrying a knife in a nightclub brawl.

The Sunday Mail can reveal his lying henchman Ryan Forrester stood in the dock last year with crimelord Jamie "The Iceman" Stevenson.

Forrester tried to take the rap for the knife rammy, claiming the blade was his, not Hughes'.

But Sheriff Martin Jones effectively branded both men liars saying: "I don't believe them."

Forrester, 30, was an associate of drug smuggler Stevenson who is serving 12 years in jail for money laundering.

He appeared with Stevenson and eight others in court but the case against him was dropped.

Hughes, 29, might not be so fortunate - he faces sentencing next month and faces jail for carrying the knife in a Glasgow club.

Witnesses say he "flipped" after someone spoke to his wife Jacqui.

Weeks earlier the Sunday Mail caught Hughes cheating with former Miss Scotland Michelle Watson. One source said: "Hughes believed money would talk and he would walk with a little help from Forrester.

"He acts like a legitimate businessman but he's just another knife-carrying ned."

Last year the Sunday Mail revealed that Hughes had made secret jail visits to Stevenson.

Many of Hughes' group of businesses take their name from his ring nickname, Braveheart.

His interests include a security firm, used cars sales, construction, boxing promotion and a girl band.

In 2006 he became the manager of troubled exworld champ Scott Harrison but later cut ties.

Hughes craves respectability and even employs spin doctors in a bid to improve his image.

In May he ranted: "Because I drive an expensive car I must be dodgy, right? Wrong. If there was anything to be found it would have been found.

"Scotland will forgive you anything but success."

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