The Isle of Wight’s Rob Da Bank is being sued for a whopping £650,000 amid allegations he has failed to pay back loans that helped prop up Bestival before its demise.
A trial is currently underway at the County Court of Central London at the Royal Courts of Justice, where TicketLine Network Ltd. is attempting to claim back the massive sum from Rob Da Bank – real name Robert Gorham.
It’s alleged that Ticket Line personally loaned Rob and co-director John Hughes around £1million between 2016 and 2018, but they have not yet received the full amount back, according to the Mail Online. The loans were made personally to the event’s directors as Ticket Line did not have faith in the company, which eventually collapsed into insolvency.
The court has heard over the past week that Bestival repeatedly found itself in financial crisis with the 2018 event almost having to be cancelled – saved only by a last minute £249,000 cash injection from Ticket Line. The ticket sales company previously loaned £750,000 to keep the event afloat, but within 2 years Bestival’s directors had ‘come back cap in hand’, as described by Ticket Line’s barrister Paul Burton.
Mr Burton has detailed to the court over the past 6 days that only £350,000 of the initial £750,000 loan, which was agreed orally, has been repaid and no part of the second £249,000 loan. The company is now seeking £649,000 plus interest.
Bestival began on the Island, at Robin Hill, in 2004 but left the Island after the 2016 event. Da Bank said the ‘boring economics of getting people on to the Island’ was the reason the event moved to Lulworth in Dorset.
Co-director John Hughes has accepted that the loan has to be repaid, but Rob Da Bank is fighting the claim saying he never agreed to a personal loan.
Rob Da Bank’s barrister, Jonathan Miller, has told the court that their defence is that it was not a personal loan and what Ticket Line say happened, didn’t happen.
The court has heard from Rob himself who said that he did not have much involvement in the financial side of Bestival. He explicitly told the Judge that he ‘never signed up for a personal loan’.
The trial, being heard in front of His Honour Judge Johns QC, continues and is expected to last another 2 days.
He has a lovely new house in bouldnor. Built around those dates.
The Bestival up until the very last one, was the most brilliant festival here by far
Sadly the last one lost the vibe and had mostly the music which attracted the wrong sort.
Stealing , and sex offences rose dramatically as always happens with certain people.
I hope Rob gets off lightly as truly up till the final one some of the best days ever.
You hope he ‘gets off lightly’? Why? He owes 650k – his business partner has already admitted it was a personal loan and not a loan to the company – why would the fact that he organised some festivals mean that he should walk away without repaying what he owes?
No suprise there then Tylerx
Rob da Bank? Rob everybody. How can anyone trust a bloke with a stupid name like that.
Probably mde up from his time in young offenders institution!
And Gibson is better lol
Hopefully the same thing will happen to the festival
Why would you wish something so negative to happen when so many people have a great time and earn a living from it. You are just one of those sad, lonely muppets who is so lonely and sat in front of your laptop dishing out bile & negativity just because you have no friends and with an attitude like that, I can see why.
Changing his name now to Cook.
Cook da Books
rob da bank quite literally. scam
He’s been trying really hard. I think he deserves a break. He could start crowd funding to help out with the repayments.
Or pay his own bills like everybody else.
Rob no money in da bank