Mike Lynch's co-defendant in US fraud trial 'fatally hit by car' while jogging | UK news

Stephen Chamberlain, once a co-defendant of Mike Lynch in a US fraud trial, has died when he was hit by a car while jogging in Cambridgeshire, according to his lawyer.

Chamberlain, the former vice president of finance at British software company Autonomy, was hit by a fatal accident on Saturday morning and placed on life support, Reuters reported.

Lynch was reported missing on Monday after a superyacht sank during a violent storm off the coast of Sicily. One man, believed to be the ship's chef, was pronounced dead and six others, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, were still missing on Monday evening.

Chamberlain died when he was “fatally struck by a car” while jogging, said his lawyer Gary Lincenberg.

Lincenberg added: “He was a courageous man of unparalleled integrity and we miss him deeply. He successfully fought to restore his good name, which lives on in his wonderful family.”

Cambridgeshire Police had appealed for witnesses following the accident on Newmarket Road in the village of Stretham. Police said a man in his 50s had been taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Chamberlain and Lynch were co-defendants in a fraud trial related to the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011 for $11 billion (£7 billion).

The two were charged with the same fraud and conspiracy for allegedly planning to inflate the value of the company before selling it.

Both men were acquitted of all 15 charges by a jury in San Francisco in June.

After leaving Autonomy in 2012, Chamberlain worked as chief operating officer for cybersecurity company Darktrace and volunteered as finance director for League One football club Cambridge United.