Tom Hayes has endured a harrowing ordeal that few can comprehend. The former bank trader served five-and-a-half years of a 14-year sentence for manipulating interest rates, much of it in high-security prisons alongside murderers and drug lords.
He asserts that he is an innocent scapegoat for public outrage directed at bankers during the financial crisis. While some understandably harbor skepticism, there is a growing concern among MPs, peers, and activists that a grave miscarriage of justice has occurred.
A Hollywood production company is considering producing a drama, which Hayes hopes will garner public support similar to ITV’s “Mr. Bates vs The Post Office.” Additionally, a UK producer has expressed interest, though it is still in the early stages.
Hayes has always sought approval from his superiors, a trait that he traces back to his youth when he worked as a paperboy. However, he feels he was unfairly targeted for a crime he did not commit and believes that rigging interest rates is only considered illegal in Britain.
Despite his once-glamorous lifestyle, Hayes’ life has been irreparably altered. His marriage to Sarah, whom he adored, has ended, and he grapples with the anguish of knowing how his imprisonment has affected his son, Josh, now 12.
Living in Maida Vale in northwest London in a flat owned by his parents, Hayes devotes himself full-time to fighting his case. While he acknowledges his relatively privileged position compared to other former prisoners, he has come out with nothing and relies on the generosity of strangers who have contributed money towards his legal expenses since his release from prison.
