The family of Mike Lynch’s co-defendant in a recent US fraud trial have paid tribute to a “much-loved husband, father, son” after it was confirmed he died following a road accident that occurred a couple of days before the British tech tycoon went missing.
Stephen Chamberlain, the former vice president of the finance company Autonomy, was hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday morning, his lawyer said.
Mr Chamberlain had faced the same charges of fraud and conspiracy as his former boss Mr Lynch – one of six people reported missing after a luxury yacht was struck by an unexpectedly violent storm and sank off Sicily early on Monday.
He had been accused of allegedly scheming to inflate the value of Autonomy, then Britain’s largest software firm, before it was sold to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.
In a statement released by Cambridgeshire Constabulary, his family said in a statement: “Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.
“He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.
“He made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
“He will be deeply missed but forever in the hearts of his loved ones.”
Mr Chamberlain and Mr Lynch were acquitted of all 15 charges by a jury in the fraud case in San Francisco in June.
In a statement on Monday, Mr Chamberlain’s lawyer, Gary Lincenberg, who described him as a “dear client and friend”, said he had died after being “fatally struck” by a car while out running near Stretham.
At the weekend police in Cambridgeshire appealed for witnesses and information after a man in his 50s, from Longstanton, was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The force said a blue Vauxhall Corsa was travelling between Stretham and Wicken on the A1123 when it collided with a pedestrian at about 10.10am in Newmarket Road. On Tuesday, it renewed its appeal.
The force added in a statement: “The driver of the car, a 49-year-old woman from Haddenham, remained at the scene and is assisting with enquiries.”
Meanwhile, a search for Mr Lynch, 59, is still under way after a UK-flagged superyacht named Bayesian sank.
Mike Lynch.
Pic: PA
One person is dead and the British tech billionaire, who owned the 56-metre vessel (183ft), is one of six people missing, including several of others Mr Lynch has worked with.
Mr Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah is among those missing after his yacht sank, local media reports, however his wife Angela Bacares is confirmed to be among the 15 people who were rescued after it capsized at about 4.30am local time (3.30am UK time) on Monday.
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Mr Chamberlain worked as Autonomy’s vice president of finance until he left in 2012 to work as chief operating officer for cybersecurity firm Darktrace, a firm founded by Invoke Capital, which itself was owned by Mr Lynch.
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He also volunteered as a finance director for Cambridge United, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The sale of Autonomy was the biggest tech takeover of a FTSE 100 firm at the time – but HP wrote down £5.5bn of the company’s value within a year, claiming revenue streams were inflated.