Boxing boss tells judge to retract 'slur'.

(From The Star (Sheffield))

Dennis Hobson Junior claims Judge Robert Moore QC made 'unfair' comments about him and his business interests when two men were jailed for their part in the theft of scrap metal worth GBP500,000.Mr Hobson Junior, who lives in Jersey but is a boxing promoter and has long term sports and business interests in the city, was mentioned when Colin Wilson, aged 57 and Leslie Rose, 52, were jailed for seven years for the metal scam.Wilson, of Halifax Road, Grenoside, was a driver employed by Mr Hobson's firm, Hobson Metals UK Ltd, and Rose, of Pit Row, Elsecar, was a security guard who worked for steel giant Outokumpu during the 14 months the scrap went missing.Rose was paid to turn off CCTV cameras to allow Wilson to take lorry loads of scrap out of the firm's site in Fife Street, Wincobank.Wilson used a lorry bearing the logo 'Dennis Hobson Junior trading as HM (UK) Ltd' and dropped off the scrap at Meadowbank Metals - a scrapyard run by Mr Hobson's nephew Andrew Hobson.Sentencing the pair Judge Moore criticised police for failing to crack down on anyone else further up the chain.He said the crime went "right into the heart of two of the scrap metal companies" owned by the Hobson businessmen, and claimed between them the firms had 'spirited away' at least GBP500,000.Both Mr Hobson Junior and Andrew Hobson deny any involvement.Mr Hobson Junior said: "I have taken legal advice and understand that my solicitor has written to the court concerned."He said the Code of Conduct for the Bar - used by legal representatives - contains a number of clauses he believes are relevant to the judge's comments, including one stating legal representatives must not make statements which are merely scandalous or intended or calculated only to vilify, insult or annoy a witness or third party.He said another clause states that, if possible, ...