The partner of a former glamour model has told a court how flying out millions of pounds in cash to Dubai was the 'worst decision' of their lives, Mail Online reported.
Jonathan Johnson, 55, flew from Heathrow Airport to the Middle East with Jo-Emma Larvin, 44, with £2.8m stashed in eight suitcases.
Larvin, the ex-girlfriend of former world super-middleweight boxing champion Joe Calzaghe, denies any wrongdoing and has told jurors she thought she was working for the UAE Embassy.
She, along with Johnson, Liam Rabone, 29, Amy Harrison, 27 and Beatrice Auty, 26, all deny transferring criminal property at Isleworth Crown Court.
Wearing a grey suit and blue shirt, Johnson told jurors that being in close proximity to that much money was 'a very disconcerting thing.'
When asked in court why he still went to Dubai if he was concerned for his personal safety, Johnson said: 'Good question, on balance we said we will go and assess and so we did go and it was obviously the worst decision of our lives.'
Prosecutor Julian Christopher KC, asked Johnson about a message he sent to his partner on 7 September 2020, two days before his first trip to Dubai, describing taking eight suitcases with them as 'taking the p**s'.
Mr Christopher asked: 'What was the problem, in your view, with taking [that many] cases?'
Johnson replied: 'Eight cases is a colossal amount'.
Mr Christopher said: 'You then go on to say how the f**k can two people carry eight cases.'
Johnson replied: 'I don't think there was much thought going into it, I was responding to her saying eight cases.'
Mr Christopher said: 'Your immediate message, the line below, is 'talk about conspicuous', not talk about heavy not talk about hard to handle, why was that?'
Johnson replied: 'Excuse my French, I've already said it is ridiculous how do you carry eight cases...I can carry on describing how hard eight cases are to carry...I've dealt with that.
'My next statement 'talk about conspicuous' is about going through an airport with eight cases and security and [it being] a risk to our safety.'
The prosecutor asked: 'Is it not actually the risk officials might think 'that's unusual, eight cases?'
Johnson said: 'We went to check in... were taking the cases to present them to the Emirates, it's all preauthorised, it's all been checked in, so we don't have to worry about that. The conspicuous element was talking about the safety of being in the proximity of an awful lot of money and that made us not want to continue.'
Mr Christopher: 'You still go to [Dubai], why if you were concerned for your personal safety?'
Johnson replied: 'Good question, on balance we said we will go and assess and so we did go and it was obviously the worst decision of our lives.'
The prosecutor asked: 'How did you come to the decision it was ok in that regard?'
'We just made the decision to do it,' Johnson replied.
'And it all went smoothly?' asked the prosecutor.
'It went exactly as we were told to expect,' Johnson said.
'So, what was it after that that made you decide you wouldn't do it anymore?' asked Mr Christopher.
'Actually, being in the proximity of that much money is a very disconcerting, uncomfortable thing,' Johnson replied.
He then questioned Johnson on his tax return documents from the tax year 2020 to 2021.
Johnson was paid £3,000 in cash when he arrived in Dubai on 9 September 2020 and declared that cash on his tax return as 'consultancy one-off'.
Asked why, Johnson replied 'Well, that's what the accountant put.'
'So, you signed the tax return didn't you?' asked Mr Christopher.
'Yes,' replied Johnson
'You confirm having seen the completed tax return; it was accurate?' Mr Christopher continued.
'Yes' replied Johnson.
'And when you signed it, it had 'consultancy one off,' said the prosecutor.
'You can use that for absolute everything, I assumed there is some sort of drop down [section], I assumed that it made zero difference to me, all I needed to know is that it was on the tax form,' Johnson replied.
Asked whether 'couriering cash to Dubai' was a more accurate description of the £3,000 declared, Johnson told the court 'he didn't think that would go on a tax form' but it 'probably' was a closer description of how the money was made.
'Is it your position that after seeing the NCA letter about the two trips to Dubai, you thought it would be a good idea to include £3000 in your tax return?' asked the prosecutor.
'I can't remember the time; I just can't remember,' replied Johnson.
'But you thought it would be too risky as to describe where it was actually from?' asked Mr Christopher.
'I didn't give it a second thought,' said Johnson.
'And is it right you had been suspicious from an early stage and throughout that this enterprise involved taking cash to Dubai that was from the proceeds of crime,' said Mr Christopher.
'Not at all' replied Johnson.
'And that involved potential of prison time?' the prosecutor continued.
'Not at all,' said Johnson.
The organiser, Abdulla Alfalasi, 47, arranged 83 successful trips over 18 months involving cash 'in the region of £100m', the court has heard
Larvin and Johnson, both of Ripon, North Yorks, along with Harrison, of Worcester Park, Surrey, Auty, of Fulham, and Rabone, of West Kensington, all deny removing criminal property from the UK.
The trial continues.